Puzzle of my Heart
by Payton79
Summary: Bella leads a promiscuous life: no relationships, no last names, no numbers. After meeting a certain green-eyed man, she begins to break her carefully set up rules. In a steamy friendship both their pasts and insecurities will be revealed. Will Bella give in to love? And what will happen when the past catches up to her? A story about lust, love and trust. AH, rated M for a reason
1. Chapter 1 - The Box

**A/N:** Hi there. Thanks so much for giving this lemony story a try.

I'm so excited that I finally get to publish it. The basic idea has been in my head for years, but it only started to really take form when I came across and started to write my plot bunny down as a fanfic. I've been working on this for about six months now, and the story is almost completely written. At the moment, it's being betaed. I'm planning on updating once every week, as long as the betaing and my tweaking at the last minute can keep up.

A big thank you goes to my betas **Ange de l'aube,** **babykay18** and the moderators from **Project Team Beta**. Without them you would be reading a story almost without any commas. A special thank you goes to my friends and pre-readers **Vampgirl79**, who I also have to thank for the wonderful cover and banner she made for me, and **Thepurplebookworm,** who both have been by my side, encouraging me through the whole writing process. Thank you so much, and I love you, ladies.

Now, I'll stop babbling and let you read. I hope you'll enjoy this story and I'll see you at the end of this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, Twilight isn't mine but Stephanie Meyer's, but I'm glad that I'm allowed to play around with her characters.

******POMH******

Chapter 1 – The Box

"Ouch!" I cursed under my breath when my foot hit something in the darkness. I was sneaking out of a stranger's apartment on my tiptoes. I didn't dare switch on the lights to find my way out, afraid I'd wake the man whose name I didn't remember and who I'd left while he was asleep in bed just a few seconds ago.

He had fallen asleep as soon as he was done with his poor performance. Not only had he been bad in bed, it had also been impossible to have a halfway decent conversation with the guy. Of course, that wasn't what either of us had been after when, he'd hit on me a few hours ago at the club and, I agreed to go home with him. He had been nice and charming, really good looking, but when we were finally alone, he couldn't live up to my expectations.

"Baby, you leavin'?" a sleepy voice sounded from the bedroom.

"Shit," I murmured too quietly for him to hear. "Yes, I have an appointment early in the morning. I'm going home."

"Will I see you again?"

_Certainly not! _"Maybe. Just call me." I shut the door behind me and was down the hall and in the elevator before he could even notice that he didn't have my number.

I usually made sure they didn't. Over the years, I'd become a pro at covering my tracks when it came to one-night-stands, always taking certain precautions. I normally didn't tell the men my last name, or gave them my number, unless I was sure I wanted to meet them again, which might have happened once or twice. Never ever did I take anyone back to my place. I considered it a very private thing to show someone how and where I lived. And I also needed the freedom to leave whenever I wanted to, which was usually right after sex.

I wasn't proud of that routine but over the years it had proven to be the most practical way to satisfy my needs.

I didn't have a new partner every week — more like once a month. I tried to avoid it until the need became too strong. I probably wasn't a slut by the standards of the general public, but I was raised to cherish love and monogamy. So I wasn't happy with my promiscuous lifestyle.

I'd had a few short-lived relationships, but after a while, I always felt suffocated when the men proposed to take it to the next level. If I thought about them retrospectively, I knew that I hadn't been in love with any of these men. I'd let neither of them come close enough for me to fall in love in the first place.

I kept telling myself that I was a modern woman, taking what I wanted without compromising my independence, but deep down, I knew I was just unable or unwilling to make a commitment.

As I stepped out of the middle-class apartment building, where I had wasted the last hour, I stopped for a moment to take a deep breath, relieved that I was free and rid of the guy, before I hailed a taxi.

After I had told the driver my address, I sat back watching Seattle pass by as peacefully as it could in the early morning hours.

At home I took a shower, washing away the unsatisfying events of the night; another part of my established routine. The hot water was running down my body, rinsing off the remainder of the stranger's touch. I cleaned myself of his saliva in the spots his lips had kissed me or his tongue had licked my skin. I didn't want anything of him to stay with me. If it were possible, I would wash my brain to erase my memories of last night.

As I was done cleansing myself, I started to take care of my own needs,the ones the good looking but quite clueless guy had totally neglected. My high-end showerhead was just the right device to do so.

When I was finally clean and my tension was relieved, I was glad to slip under the covers and close my tired eyes. I still had about five hours left before morning.

****POMH****

The piercing ring of my cellphone woke me as daylight already crept through my bedroom window.

"Hello?" I mumbled holding the phone to my ear without opening my eyes.

"Good morning sunshine," cheered the voice on the other end of the line.

"Morning, Alice. What's up?" I looked at the alarm clock on my nightstand to find that it was 9 am. How could anyone in their right mind be that good-humored so early on a Sunday morning?

"Bella, I wanted to make sure you got home okay and was curious if Mr. Hotlips kept what his looks promised."

Alice's wild days had been over since she finally got together with Jasper. Before that, we used to go out together all the time, and Alice usually didn't go home alone. Compared to her, I had seemed like a paragon of chastity at the time. She didn't really miss those days but, sometimes she liked to feed off my adventures.

"Let me put it this way, I think we left the club at around two and I was home by three. He was boring and fell asleep immediately after. You could say I was left high and dry. And his place was a mess. Disgusting."

"That's a drag. He really looked hot." Alice sighed theatrically.

"Yeah, but that's not the point." I had to learn the hard way that looks were no indication for a guy's skills in bed.

"Well, you're right." She sighed again before she changed the subject. "Listen, I'm actually calling to remind you about the party we're having at our place next Saturday. You said something last night about having to reschedule dinner with your Dad."

I had already forgotten about that. I hadn't been to Forks in more than two months.

Charlie, my dad, and I had been really close as I grew up and I really liked his girlfriend, Sue. But their constant questioning about whether or not I had finally met someone special was getting on my nerves. They didn't know what had happened to me that had left me incapable of having a real relationship.

"Oh, the dinner. I had totally forgotten about that. Well, there's no special occasion or anything. I'll just drive over to see them today and make some excuse why I can't come next week."

"Okay then, I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye, Alice."

Putting the phone on the nightstand, I rolled onto my back, growling in frustration about the early wake-up call. After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, I decided to get up.

I ate a quick breakfast of milk and cereal, then got dressed and got in my car for the three-hour drive to Forks. Having talked to Sue on the phone earlier this week, I knew they would be spending Sunday at home.

"Hey, Bells. What a nice surprise. Is something wrong? I didn't think we'd see you before next weekend." Charlie looked worried as he greeted me with a hug.

"Hey, Dad. No, everything's alright. But something came up and I won't be able to make it next Saturday. So I thought I'd just visit you today instead."

He stepped aside and I entered the little two-bedroom house I'd grown up in. Charlie was the chief of police in this small hole-in-the-wall town. My parents had bought the house right after they got married and Charlie didn't want to sell it after the divorce.

As we passed the hall to reach the living room, Sue Clearwater, Charlie's girlfriend came out of the kitchen, greeting me with a smile.

"Hello, Bella. Nice to see you. How are you?" she asked as she hugged me heartily.

Dad and Sue had been together for about twenty years now. I was glad he had met her soon after Renée, my mother, had left us. But they never got married. As a teenager I always wondered why. Now that I was an adult and had gained some perspective myself, I was sure that Charlie had been hurt too deeply by Renée to ever give another marriage a try.

"Hi. I'm fine. I just thought I'd come over — "

"She found something better to do next Saturday than to have dinner with her old man," Charlie interrupted me. But I was glad to see that he was smiling instead of being mad at me for canceling.

"Oh that's too bad. Well, never mind. You're here today. Actually, now that you're here, I cleaned out the attic the other day and I found some of your old stuff. Maybe you'd like to take a look at it and decide if you want to throw it away or keep it. It's in your room. Lunch will be ready in half an hour."

I went upstairs and as usual, I felt strange on the way to my old bedroom. I hadn't been in there in- about ten months. Since I had finally moved out for good six years ago I had avoided that room as much as possible, only staying overnight on the holidays. I felt uncomfortable every minute I spent in there.

Opening the door, I immediately saw that nothing had changed since I'd left. Sue cleaned the room regularly and though the house was small and they could actually use every square foot available, they had never redecorated it or used it for anything. They insisted that it was my room and would stay like that until I had a family of my own. They weren't aware that we were probably talking decades if not forever.

On the bed sat a box I recognized as soon as I laid eyes on it. After my initial shock, I approached it very carefully as if it were a bomb ready to explode at the lightest touch. When I reached the bed, I sat down on the edge of the mattress, staring at the box of memories for a good while. It was a square, brown box, one foot wide, high and deep, with a green lid.

Most of the boxes I had stored up in the attic were labeled, hinting at their contents. But not this one. In wide black letters, Sue had written my name on it. Even though there was nothing more on the outside of the box, I knew immediately, without having to guess for a second, what was in it. I could have named every single item, described each one meticulously.

Before even lifting the lid, I could smell the scent of its contents around me, stirring feelings in me of pain, despair and loss. I placed my hand palm down on the box to make contact with it for a while before I dared to lift the lid. It was as if I was afraid that something would jump out and attack if I moved too fast.

The first thing that caught my eye, lying on top of everything else, was a white teddy bear with a big red bow around its neck. Jacob had won it for me at the fair we had gone to with Alice and Jasper. He'd had to try several times before he finally won something he considered good enough for me. I took the stuffed animal out of the box raising it to my nose. Eight years later it still had that distinctive fair smell.

The next item that became visible was a little snow globe with a miniature Statue of Liberty inside. A gift to remind me of the city I had always dreamed about working in but had sworn to never set foot in again. Carefully, I took it in my hands and shook it, making the snow fall around New York's most famous landmark.

Then there was a black jersey dress with a zipper on the back that had never been completely zipped up. I had never worn it, only put it on once for a few minutes before … No, I couldn't think about that now. It hurt too damn much.

Next there was a ticket to a concert in Seattle dated July 21st 2004.

As I put that away, I saw three photographs that had been hidden underneath. From the first one, a portrait, a pair of brown eyes, set in a beautiful russet-skinned face and framed by thick black hair, were smiling at me. Before the lump in my throat could grow even bigger, I quickly put it away.

The next picture showed Jasper, Alice, Jacob and me making funny faces. I remembered that the picture was taken two days before the guys had to leave. Alice and Jake wanted something to remember the week we had together. So we set Alice's camera up in our backyard, put it on automatic release, and posed for a series of more or less stupid pictures. I could almost hear the laughter that was in the air that day. Back then it had felt as if we didn't have a care in the world. The last picture I had kept was one of Jacob carrying me piggyback, running across the sand at First Beach.

As I laid out everything on top of my bedspread, tears began to sting my eyes, desperate to be shed. I tried to fight them back as long as possible, struggling to be stronger than the overwhelming memories that had been released. But I lost the fight as a quiet sob escaped my throat and when I closed my eyes the tears started to flow.

I cried silently for some time, letting the memories crush me for the first time in a long while.

When I finally pulled myself together again, I put everything back into the box and placed the lid back on top. Wiping away the last of tears that had escaped my eyes, shed not for a guy, but for a girl that had lost all faith in love, I safely stored all memories of Jacob Black away before I went outside to the trash, so I could get rid of the box of pain.

****POMH****

During the whole three hour drive back to Seattle I tried to forget about that damn box. It had been months since I'd even thought of Jacob.

After we'd parted ways, I'd locked myself up in our apartment, unwilling and unable to interact with anyone but Alice. Jake had managed to destroy all the faith I had in people.

No one other than Alice and Jasper knew what had happened between him and me. But everyone knew that we'd had some kind of fight and were no longer speaking. Even Charlie, who was the least perceptive person on earth, understood that it was better to never mention Jake's name in my presence again.

It had taken me half a year before I agreed to go dancing with Alice for the first time. From the outside, I'd seemed to be back to normal but on the inside my wounds had been far from healed. In the months I had spent at home, I'd made up my mind to never again give a man the chance to hurt me like that, to never trust a man again.

But life completely without men didn't work. There were needs, physical as well as emotional, that needed to be taken care of. Since I was unwilling or unable to have a relationship and open myself up to someone who would probably hurt me again, I started to hook up with guys, always for only one night.

Over the years I had sex with many men. After a few years, I'd even made some attempts at having a relationship, but I didn't let a guy get emotionally close to me again.

I had enjoyed my afternoon with Charlie and Sue, but since that summer, I hadn't been able to stay in Forks longer than a night or two. However, every few months it was nice to go home for a few hours, and listen to Charlie and Sue spilling the recent gossip or to just watch the two of them living a happy life together. Deep down inside, I longed to have what they had but I felt like I was too messed up to ever accomplish it.

When I drove into my building's underground parking garage, I had banned every sad memory from my mind again, determined to live in the present rather than the past.

********POMH********

**A/N:** So, what do you think? I'm very curious to hear your ideas about what happened between Bella and Jacob.

I'm sorry that there was no Edward in this first chapter but I promise you, he'll make his first appearance real soon.

To keep you interested, here's a short teaser for Chapter 2:

… Never before had I felt this excited, just kissing a man. Usually kissing was only a gateway to sex, and I didn't particularly enjoy it. …

See you next week ;)


	2. Chapter 2 - Unforeseen Encounter

**A/N:** Hi guys. Glad that you're back for chapter 2. Thanks to all of you, who have favorited this story or put it on alert and thanks for the reviews. I was overwhelmed with the reaction I got. Unfortunately, I couldn't reply to the guest reviews. I'm sorry about you all so much.

So, I'm not going to keep you for long before you can start reading. I just want to say my thank yous to my betas **TDS88** and **EdwardsMate4ever** and the moderators from **Project Team Beta** as well as to my friends and pre-readers **Vampgirl79** and **Thepurplebookworm**.

Now, enjoy chapter 2. See you at the end.

**Disclaimer:** It will not come as a surprise to you that I don't own Twilight. But I love Stephenie Meyer for creating these wonderful characters that I enjoy playing around with.

******POMH******

Chapter 2 – Unforeseen encounter

My week went by slowly. Being a self-employed photographer, I had busy periods as well as times when business was slow.

After college, I had started out making a living mostly by photographing weddings and other events. I'd made enough money to pay the bills, but business really picked up when, three years ago, Jasper decided to move to Seattle to finally be with Alice, after a four year on-again off-again long distance relationship. He had been offered an important position in an advertising agency there, and because he liked my work, I was freelancing for his firm nowadays.

Currently, there were only some comp card shootings for a modeling agency I used to work with.

So, when Saturday came, I was excited to go to the party at Alice and Jasper's house.

"We're hosting this to introduce Jazz's new co-worker to some people. He's just moved here from Chicago, and he doesn't know anyone yet. But he and Jazz have been friends since high school," Alice reminded me when she led me to their spacious living room.

There were about forty people in the room. I knew most of them, considering that they were either friends of Jasper and Alice's or worked with Jasper at the agency.

Most of the furniture had been pushed out of the way and hidden behind the stairway in the back of the room to clear enough space to serve as a dance floor. Along one of the walls, Alice had set up a bar which was operated by a professional bartender. As usual, everything was thoughtfully decorated with indirect lighting, sparkling lights, and drapes throughout the room, covering the walls. Party planning had always been one of Alice's hobbies.

I headed straight to the bar after Alice left me to check on the snacks in the kitchen. "A martini, please," I said when the bartender looked at me to take my order. He smiled and turned away to fix my drink.

Once again, I marveled over Alice's wonderful decorations, when someone approached me from my left.

"Hey, Bella. How come a beautiful woman like you is alone on a Saturday night?" I squeezed my eyes shut at the lame line he tried to feed me. I vaguely knew the guy from the agency. I'd never had a normal conversation with him. Whenever he spoke to me, he was hitting on me, which happened pretty much every time I met him. And when he was not getting on my nerves like that, I always caught him undressing me with his eyes. I was dressed in black skinny jeans, black stilettos and a tight, sparkling black tank top. It was sexy but not too revealing.

"James, if you take a look around, you'll see that I'm not alone at all. There's at least thirty people in this room." I tried to smile at him without encouraging him to further engage me in some boring conversation.

"There's only one person I'm interested in, and she's standing right in front of me."

When he winked at me, I wanted to throw up. His hair was slicked back with gel, his face clean-shaven and his skin was unnaturally tan. He was tacky and creepy. The fact that he was the only guy in the room wearing a tie added to his overall sleazy appearance. As his eyes were wandering up and down my body, nothing short of eye-fucking me, I had to suppress a shudder.

Finally, the bartender came back, setting my drink in front of me, so that I could end this uncomfortable conversation.

"Thank you," I said as I turned to scan the surroundings for someone to escape to. A smile spread across my face when I spotted Jasper's assistant. "Hi, Kate," I shouted, as I waved hello to her across the room. "Excuse me, there's someone I need to talk to." I took my leave as I hurried away.

****POMH****

I spent the next two hours struggling to escape James. Every time I went to talk to someone, eat something, or dance, a few moments later he magically appeared in close proximity. When he finally started grinding up on me, I rushed away to the bathroom.

After staying there a few minutes, I made sure the coast was clear and ran over to hide behind the staircase to watch the scene in the living room from there. For the moment, James seemed to have found another unfortunate victim.

"I thought I was the only one who would need the sanctuary of this convenient little hide-out. But you're welcome to join me," said a velvety voice behind me. This corner of the room was unlit and quite dark, so I hadn't noticed that someone was here.

I turned around to find my gaze captured by the most beautiful, shining pair of green eyes I'd ever seen, as the stranger stepped toward the light. The lopsided smile the tall, handsome man flashed me almost took my breath away. His bronze hair was disheveled, which only added to his charm. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a white button-down shirt with short sleeves that allowed me a peek at his perfectly toned biceps.

"Uhm, some sleazeball has been close on my heels all night, and I needed to get away from him." It was kind of hard to speak a coherent sentence while he was looking at me with those beautiful eyes.

He came closer to me to look into the room, where the other guests were dancing, drinking and talking.

"Which one is it?" he asked, intrigued.

"That man with the tie, over there by the bar." I pointed my finger in the direction.

"Oh, James Hunter. Well, I can see why you wouldn't want to spend your time with him." He laughed humorlessly.

I was surprised the stranger knew tie-guy's name. "You know him?" I asked, raising my brows.

"Yes. Unfortunately, I have to work with him." He pressed his lips together tightly in what seemed like frustration before the smile reappeared. The sight made my insides melt.

"So, you work with Jasper?" Now I was confused. I thought I knew most of the people from the agency, but obviously, I was wrong.

"Yes, I do. I have to apologize for not introducing myself properly. I'm Edward Cullen." He extended his hand, waiting for me to shake it. His name actually rang a bell.

"Uh you're the new acquisition from Chicago. Nice to meet you. I'm Bella Swan," I said as I reached out to shake his elegant, long-fingered hand. The touch of his skin felt incredibly good.

"Then you're Alice's best friend, the photographer. And I think we'll be working together, too." He seemed delighted at that thought. Actually, so was I.

"Yeah, we probably will. But why are you hiding out here? You're like the guest of honor tonight."

He chuckled briefly before he answered my question. "For the same reason you are." He let go of my hand he had still been holding and placed it lightly on the small of my back, to turn me in the direction of the dance floor. His closeness sent jolts of excitement up and down my spine. Then he pointed his finger at an all tarted-up girl in her mid-twenties. "Barbie there has been hitting on me for over an hour. And to phrase it nicely, she's not really my type intellectually."

I knew what he was talking about. Jessica was an intern at the agency and everything that came out of her mouth usually sounded stupid and childish.

"You should pray that she won't be assigned to you. She's an intern. It must be a coincidence that you haven't met her officially yet."

He looked annoyed before he sighed and the smile returned yet again. "I'll talk to Jasper. After all, I've known him since forever, and he still owes me for a lot of things."

That was right; he was a friend of Jasper's. "So, as long as we seem to be stuck here, why don't you tell me how you know Jasper?" I suggested as we sat down on one of the sofas that were stored in our corner. Although it was very wide, he sat down quite close to me, which inexplicably made my stomach flutter.

"Jasper and I go way back. In high school, back in Chicago, I dated his sister Rosalie for a while before she dumped me for my brother Emmett." He grinned, a little embarrassed. "The two of them are married by now and we all stayed friends." I laughed lightly about the nice story. "And you? How do you know Alice?"

"We've known each other since kindergarten. We both grew up in Forks, a sleepy little town about three hours from here. We've been friends ever since."

A noise from the living room caught my attention and made me break our eye contact. But there wasn't anything to see.

"So, what do you think? How long will we have to bide our time here?" I asked as I turned back to look at him again. His beautiful face stunned me each time I laid eyes on him.

"I don't care. I'm in no hurry to leave. The company is much better in here than it is out there." His smile was inviting, and I immediately forgot everything outside of our little hide-away. "The only downside is that I had to leave my drink at the bar and now I'm unable to retrieve it."

"Huh," I beamed. "I can help with that. This house is almost like home to me, and I know where Alice and Jazz stash their booze. Just stay where you are."

I went out and came back a minute later with a bottle and two tumblers. "Voila. I hope you like whiskey. I couldn't find anything else without heading down to the basement." He took one of the glasses out of my hands and I filled both before I sat down, putting the bottle on the floor.

"What shall we drink to?" he asked, raising his brows expectantly.

"Why don't we drink to new beginnings," I suggested.

"I'm certainly hoping for some things to begin, maybe already tonight," he said meaningfully as he clinked his glass to mine. "To new beginnings."

We talked for what felt like hours. It was unbelievably easy to talk to Edward, just like we had known each other for years. I learned a lot about him. He was single, thirty years old — two years older than me — born in Chicago and very close to his parents and brother. Moving to Seattle had not been an easy decision for him, but it was a big promotion that had brought him here. I felt that there was more to it, but I didn't press him to tell me. Anyway, he was happy to be able to spend time with Jasper again, and hoped that he would soon feel at home in Washington.

I didn't miss the way he was flirting with me when he asked me about my family, my job and my relationship status.

We had finished half of the bottle when I caught a movement in my peripheral vision and, all of a sudden, Edward's lips were pressed to mine. I was stunned and a warm shiver ran through my whole body. After a second, he parted his lips and took my lower lip between both of his. Although I didn't know what had brought on this sudden attack, I gladly played along, moving my mouth with his. He felt warm and soft and his wonderful scent, cologne mixed with his natural musk, made my head spin. Before I could make up my mind whether to give in to my impulse to add my tongue or not, he suddenly pulled away.

I shot him a disappointed look, secretly longing for more.

"Sorry about that, but James was passing by and I had to improvise to keep you hidden from him." He smirked at my obvious puzzlement.

"I wasn't going to complain. In fact, I wouldn't mind if he'd pass by again." I bit my bottom lip, ashamed of my blatant invitation. The mere presence of this man made me dizzy.

He chuckled lightly before he slowly moved his face closer to mine. "So, you don't mind me doing this?" he whispered as he touched his lips to mine, this time more cautiously than before.

"Uh-uh," I answered, shaking my head infinitesimally, unwilling to part from him.

This time he opened his mouth further, and his tongue first trailed along my bottom lip, before it slowly entered my expectant mouth, nudging my own tongue invitingly. I responded willingly, caressing his tongue with mine. He tasted like whiskey and pure sex. Never before had I felt this excited, just kissing a man. Usually kissing was only a gateway to sex, and I didn't particularly enjoy it. But right now, I was reveling in the way our passionate tongues and lips were moving together, and I would have been happy to stay like this forever. Something about Edward was different from any man I'd ever met before.

What started out a little teasingly became gradually more urgent. A short time later, we were engaged in a full-blown make out session. My fingers were tangled in his soft, perfect hair. His hands were all over my body. We had shifted our positions until I was lying on my back with Edward on top of me. His warm weight made me want nothing more than to feel his skin on mine.

His right hand cupped my cloth-covered breast, stroking my nipple with his fingers, making me moan out with pleasure. I could feel his erection against my thigh when his lips let go of mine and started to caress my neck.

"You make me crazy. We have to stop this before people notice," he breathed against my ear while his teeth gently bit my lobe.

"Or we could take this somewhere more private, if you'd like." I almost groaned as another shudder of arousal shook me. My panties were soaking wet as my core was aching for the man I'd just met to fulfill my need. Although I mostly slept with strangers, it was always only about getting laid. I had never wanted a particular man as desperately as I wanted Edward right now.

"Where?" was all he choked out while he was grinding his hardness against me.

"The guest room," I whispered before his mouth captured mine again, sucking my upper lip into his. Then he let go of me and, grabbing his hand firmly, we rushed up the stairs toward the bed that awaited us.

********POMH********

**A/N:** Hi again. So, how did you like Edward's first appearance? I'd really love to be in Bella's place, here. I hope I'm keeping you interested in what's going to happen next. Here's a little teaser for chapter 3.

...Pictures of last night flashed up in my mind. Images of me and Edward making out heavily on the sofa, his glorious body on top of mine, his hard member inside me. Memories of that forceful last orgasm made me shudder...

So, anyone interested in chapter 3? It seems like it's getting hot. See you next Tuesday.


	3. Chapter 3 - Desire

**A/N:** Hi again. Is anyone still reading this story? Well, if you're still there, I'm sure you're eager to read the first lemon now, because that's what this chapter really is about. Thanks to all of you for reviewing, adding POMH to your favorites and alerts. It really means a lot to me.

Before I let you read chapter 3 now, I want to send a quick thank you to my wonderful betas, **itsange** and **Angela LuvsFanfic** from **Project Team Beta** and to my dear pre-readers, **Vampgirl79** and **Thepurplebookworm**. Without all of you this chapter would have turned out very differently.

Now I won't keep you any longer. Enjoy the citrus.

**Disclaimer:** How matter how much I love it, Twilight's not mine but SM's. Thanks for giving us something to dream about.

******POMH******

Chapter 3 – Desire

As soon as I had locked the door behind us, I turned around to find Edward eying me hungrily, and immediately, his body pinned mine to the door. His hands were grabbing at the hem of my top to pull it over my head in one swift motion, before his ravenous mouth captured mine again, our tongues swirling around in a passionate dance.

I was overcome by the need to feel his skin on mine now. Blindly, my fingers started to fumble with his shirt buttons. Too impatient to wait for me to undo them, he pulled the shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor. For a moment, I pushed him away, just far enough to get a good view at his perfectly sculpted chest and abs. His muscles were defined but not too prominent under his smooth, pale skin. After tearing my eyes away, I grabbed his hair, pulling his lips to mine again.

Edward's hands traveled over my back, and with a slight movement of his fingers, he unhooked my bra. I let the straps slide down my arms and let it fall on top of his shirt. My eyes were fixed on his face, and I noticed his eyes grow even darker with need, as they took in my bare breasts.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered. His words and the look on his face sent a hot shudder of desire through my body before he buried his face in the crook of my neck, licking and nibbling the skin there. His hands lightly brushed my hard nipples as they moved down from my shoulders to my hips. He took a firm grip of my ass, and then he grabbed my thighs, lifting me up and wrapping my legs around his waist. I reveled in the feeling of his warm skin against mine as he carried me over to the bed.

After setting me down in the middle, he unbuckled my belt, opened my jeans and yanked them down forcefully, right before he proceeded with pulling my panties down. All the while, I was watching his bare torso, enraptured by the flexing of his muscles. His lips returned to mine again as soon as he had stripped me of my last remaining piece of clothing.

Without looking, my hands were fidgeting with his pants, in desperate need to remove all fabric separating us, as our tongues were savoring one another.

"Shit," I cursed into his mouth, frustrated because his pants wouldn't come off. I could feel him smile as he took over the job. Without parting from my lips for a second, he climbed out of the offending garment.

When he was done, his hands moved to my breasts, cupping them gently. His mouth joined them as his teeth lightly bit my left nipple. I moaned rapturously, my back arching against him, as he started to suck it hard.

The muscles in my loins were twitching with anticipation. His noisy breathing, while he was working my pebbled peak, was a real turn-on.

After one last bite, he moved over to the other side, repeating his ministrations. My core was aching with need as his hand stroked down my stomach until he ran a finger through my folds.

"Ah," I moaned, hearing him chuckle in response.

"Oh my God, Bella, you're so wet." He left my boobs and his hands pushed my knees apart. Now that my sex was on open display, he smiled to himself before he swept my cleft with his fervent tongue. I shut my eyes immediately, overwhelmed by the intense sensation.

"Hmm," he hummed, and I felt myself melting under his touch. His thumbs split my folds to grant him better access to my most sensitive spot. He let his eager tongue dance around, up and down and circling around, making me lose all sense of time and place.

Somehow, totally unlike me, and without making a conscious decision, I relinquished all control and let Edward have his way with me. With my hands tugging at his hair, I surrendered myself to his skillful caresses. The skin all over my body was prickling as waves of pleasure ran up and down my spine. It didn't take long until the pressure building up inside me erupted in loud, breathless moans while every muscle in me seemed to contract and heat washed over all my senses.

He licked his way back up to my lips, and at the same time, removed his boxer briefs while I slowly recovered from my climax. Finally, I had him the way I'd wanted him all along, naked and on top of me. I could taste and smell myself on his breath, lips and tongue. Whenever that had happened before, I was grossed out, but somehow, right here and with Edward, it felt intimate and even heightened my arousal.

Without looking at what he was doing, he grabbed for his pants, coming back with a condom and, after breaking away from my lips, he instantly opened the wrapper. Biting my lip in anticipation, I took the rubber out of the pack, and after throwing an admiring glance—he was very well endowed—I put it on him.

"I want you," I murmured when I looked back into his eyes, gripping his hair with my hands again.

"How much?" He grinned wickedly, as he rubbed his latex covered member at my peak.

"Very much!" I whimpered because of the way his closeness caused my entrance to throb.

It was a delightful relief when he finally thrust his length into my aching center. He halted for a moment, giving me the chance to cherish the strange sense of fulfillment I felt, now that he was inside me. A feeling I hadn't ever experienced before.

Then he started to move inside me, every thrust striking a chord that I hadn't known to be there. He was hovering over me, his weight on his elbows, his lips on my neck, kissing, licking and biting. His chest lightly rubbed over my breasts, our skins covered by a sheen of sweat.

Although physically we were as close as two people could be, I still felt the need for him to be closer, deeper inside me. He seemed to pick up on my longing because, after a minute, he put his arm under the hollow of my knee, bringing my leg close to my chest and allowing him to enter me even deeper. The new sensation made me ecstatic. As he went on driving himself into me faster and harder, my fingers frantically clawed at his back, holding on for dear life. Each thrust brought me closer to the edge that I felt was only inches away.

I panted uncontrollably as I almost reached the peak of pleasure.

"Oh, yeah, Bella, come for me," he incited me, as he let his warm, delicious breath wash over my face. Seconds later, I felt a previously unknown high which made me scream out loud.

While I was still partly unaware of my surroundings, only Edward filling my every sense, I registered his breath accelerating, and with a deep "Oh, yes, fuck, yes," he came, before he collapsed on top of me.

Partly recovered, he kissed my lips again, passionately but less demanding than he had only minutes ago. Then he rolled off of me to lie flat on his back, disposing of the condom, before he pulled me close to his chest.

"That was not what I expected when I came here tonight." His breath was still slightly ragged.

"Me, neither," I answered truthfully.

"I think Seattle's growing on me," he chuckled, his hands starting to toy with my hair.

"Despite the weather, it can be quite hot here, don't you think?" I raised my head a little to look at his face.

He smiled as he answered, "One particular Seattleite certainly is."

We were quiet for a while as he twisted a strand of my long, dark-brown hair around his index finger, while my hands toyed with the hair on his chest. Strangely, my usual flight instinct didn't kick in. In fact, I was quite unwilling to move at all.

Edward sighed sadly before he finally stated, "I think it's past two in the morning. I guess we should leave soon."

"We don't have to." I paused, biting my lip for a second, before I dared to continue. "This is practically my room and Alice invited me to stay tonight. You know, the bed is big enough. I'd be willing to share." I gazed up at Edward expectantly. Had I really just invited him to stay the night? I had never done that before, nor did I usually stay at a man's place overnight. I had always felt uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed with a man. Even in my three so-called relationships I had always been restless and felt awkward when I had shared a bed for a night.

Right now, there was nothing awkward about the situation. The only thing I was afraid of was that he might prefer to leave.

"Well, I admit that I'm pretty comfortable where I am, and I doubt that I'm able to drive home after the amount of whiskey I had. So, if you don't mind, I'll take you up on your offer."

I dropped my eyes from his face to his chest and tried to hide a smile as I said, "I don't mind."

One of Edward's hands stroked up and down my spine, while the other went on playing with my hair. I was engulfed in his wonderful scent as I slowly drifted off to a restorative sleep.

****POMH****

When my mind gradually drifted from sleep to wakefulness, I felt unnaturally warm. It took me a minute to realize, that I was lying with my back to Edward who, his arms around me, was holding me close to him. I couldn't believe that we had been sleeping like that the whole night.

Pictures of last night flashed up in my mind. Images of me and Edward making out heavily on the sofa, his glorious body on top of mine, his hard member inside me. Memories of that forceful last orgasm made me shudder.

Although it felt unbelievably good to wake up this way, I couldn't keep my head from reminding me that I wasn't comfortable letting a man be that close. I was torn between feeling snug in a way that was absolutely foreign to me and my familiar fear of being hurt again.

Fear outweighed the feeling of contentment, so I carefully wiggled my way out of Edward's arms and decided to go to the en-suite bathroom. Looking into the mirror, I saw that my face was still flushed with excitement while my hair was a mess. There was nothing I could do about it bedsides taking a shower.

The warm water running down my body felt nice. But no matter how warm and comfy it was, as it caressed my skin, it didn't feel as good as Edward's arms around me.

I gasped with shock when the curtain was suddenly pulled back and a naked, sleepy, yet incredibly sexy Edward stood in front of me.

"Good morning, beautiful," he yawned as a greeting, while he ran one hand through his wild hair.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you." Again, I marveled at how perfect he was.

"You didn't, or, yes, you did, too. The bed was suddenly cold and empty." While he spoke, he let his eyes roam my wet body.

His words as well as his gaze resurrected the butterflies in my stomach.

"Sorry," I said as I took a good look at the beautiful, naked man and noticed that his growing erection betrayed his approval of what he was seeing in front of him. My heart began to race with sudden desire. "Did you want to take a shower, too? I think there's room enough for the two of us."

He smiled his lopsided smile and joined me under the hot water. He wrapped his arms around my waist immediately and pulled me close, while he touched his lips to mine.

This was another first for me. Usually I didn't share the bathroom with anyone but, weird as that was, I didn't mind right now.

As I felt his rock hard member pressed against my stomach, I acted on an impulse when I went down on my knees, wrapped my fingers around his hard-on and took him in my mouth. Edward started to breathe audibly when my tongue began to massage him. Placing his hands on my head, he moaned as I took him in as deeply as possible. His hands grabbed my hair, while I was moving my head back and forth.

"Oh, yes, baby, that's good. Just like that." His words spurred me to move faster and take him in a little deeper.

Of course, I had given head before, but never had I taken the initiative. Until today, I'd never liked satisfying a man orally. But I was really aroused by the mere thought of tasting Edward. And he was delicious. My tongue swirled around, paying special attention to his tip, savoring the feeling of his manhood in my mouth.

It didn't take long until he panted hoarsely and tried to pull my head back. But I held my ground. Now that I wanted to do this with him, I wanted to do it right and all the way.

"Oh fuck, Bella, yeeeees."

I swallowed the salty liquid that flooded my mouth in three strong spurts without batting an eye, feeling strangely elated, knowing that I satisfied him.

He put his hand under my chin and made me get up to stand in front of him. A second later, his tongue was in my mouth and, during a passionate kiss, he backed me into the corner of the shower. His hand gripped my thigh, lifted my left leg and placed my foot on the edge of the bathtub so that my legs were spread.

A second later he was on his knees.

"It's my turn now," he said, his voice hoarse with lust, before he attacked my peak with his mouth.

"Ohhh," I moaned as Edward's caress instantaneously made my head spin. Every nerve in my body seemed to be on edge, responding to his unique touch. A few moments later, he first slid one then two fingers inside me, making me shudder with pleasure. As he forcefully drove them in and out and back in again, he alternately sucked my nub and rubbed his rough tongue over it. The tension inside me built up fast and, only moments later, I was seeing fireworks behind my closed lids, and my knees gave out in a mind-blowing orgasm.

I was panting uncontrollably when Edward's strong arms caught me. "Woah, careful, Bella. You could get hurt." I looked at an incredibly gorgeous, smug smile as I opened my eyes. He held me close to him while I slowly regained my strength.

We washed each other playfully, covering the other one in foam and rinsing it off again, before we left the shower and reluctantly got dressed. When we were both wearing last night's clothes, we unlocked the door and began the walk of shame, trying to sneak out of our friend's house.

To my dismay, we had to pass the kitchen where Alice and Jasper were just having breakfast. I halted in the doorway as Alice spotted me.

"So, there you are. Last night you were gone all of a sudden. I figured you were upstairs, but I didn't dare to check in case I could wake you," Alice scolded.

That second, Edward, who had been following me and hadn't noticed I had stopped, bumped into me. Both our friends raised their eyebrows in astonishment, then looked at each other before their gazes returned to us.

"So, Bella, it seems you've met Edward after all. I guess I don't have to introduce you, then. I hope you had fun last night," Jasper greeted us suggestively.

"Morning, Jazz, Alice. Well, I had too much to drink, and Bella suggested that I could stay in the guest room with her," Edward tried to explain our presence. Gentlemen don't kiss and tell.

"However, sit down and have breakfast with us," Jasper said, as he rose to set up two more places at the table.

We had a nice meal spiked with lots of sexual innuendos by Alice and Jasper. As we were done, we said our goodbyes, left the house and walked to our cars that were conveniently parked next to each other.

"So, I had a lot of fun last night—and this morning," Edward said, smiling at me.

"Yes, me too." This here might finally be the awkward part.

"Uhm, I would really like to see you again," he stated, looking hopeful.

Normally, I avoided sleeping with men I previously knew, or who were coworkers even, to make sure I could walk away without having to deal with them later. Considering that Edward was a friend of Jasper's _and_ a coworker, it had been clear right from the start that we would inevitably have to meet again. Although this was kind of breaking my own rules, I couldn't bring myself to regret a minute of our time together.

"You most certainly will. I think we'll be working together quite a lot." I didn't know how to handle this. I wanted to see him again, like last night, the sooner the better. But the reasonable part of my brain acted up, saying I had to keep my safe distance from the man.

"You know that's not what I mean," he raised his brow just like his voice at the end of the sentence, making it sound like a question. His eyes were slowly filling with disappointment.

"Yeah, I know. I'd like to repeat last night, too." Then, without thinking about it twice, I broke another one of my rules. "Here's my number. Give me a call." With that I held my business card out to him, with my home as well as my cellphone number on it. "But I'm quite sure we'll meet at the agency next week, anyway."

It was totally unexpected when he suddenly pulled me close to him, giving me another deep kiss, before he broke away, grabbed my card out of my hand and turned to walk to the driver's side of his Volvo.

"Bye, beautiful. See you soon." He stepped inside the car and sped off a moment later.

I stood there at my Prius, baffled and absolutely clueless as to what had possessed me over the last twelve hours.

********POMH********

**A/N:** So, what's your opinion? Those two definitely have some chemistry, don't you think? I have to admit that I'd do Edward myself if I could ;). So, what's next week?

..."She wanted to know if you were any good." As soon as it was out, I wanted to take it back.

He swallowed before he nonchalantly asked, "Well, was I?"...

Really embarrassing, isn't it? What might Bella say to that? Well, I guess we'll see next week. Please, tell me what you think or just leave some love. CU


	4. Chapter 4 - Friends with benefits

**A/N:** Hello ladies (and maybe some gentlemen, too). I'm glad you're back for chapter 4. Thanks to everyone for reviewing, following, and putting POMH on your list of favorites. Every time my phone shows me a new message from FF it makes me smile.

After the steaminess in chapter 3, this one is going to be a bit slower. But there's still a lot of Edward in it and I think that's what we all want to read.

I want to thank my pre-readers **Thepurplebookworm** and **Vampgirl79** as well as my betas **EdwardsMate4ever** and **itlnbrt** from **Project Team Beta** without whom you'd probably be running away from this story mid-chapter. They made it so much better.

I hope you'll enjoy reading. See you at the end.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight's not mine but SM's. I just love to have her characters do my bidding.

******POMH******

Chapter 4 – Friends with benefits

The moment I opened the door to my apartment, coming back from the overnight stay at Alice and Jasper's, I noticed that there were already five messages on my answering machine. I didn't need to listen to them to know who they were from or what they were about.

A second later, the phone rang again, and without looking at the display to see the caller's name, I answered. "Hi, Alice."

She didn't say hello or give any preamble. The only thing she said was, "Spill!"

I played dumb. "Spill what?"

"Isabella Marie Swan, I want to hear every detail about what happened between you and Edward last night." Curiosity was getting the best of her.

"It was all very innocent" — in the beginning, that is — "James was chasing me and Jessica was hitting on Edward. We both hid out in the corner behind the stairwell, and we talked for hours." None of that was a lie — so far.

"And how did the two of you end up in the same bed?" Alice sounded impatient.

"We had a few drinks, and when James walked by, Edward kissed me. You know, to hide me from James."

"My ass! Tell the truth, Bella."

"That _is_ the truth. At least, that's what Edward said. Whatever, we made out" — heavily — "and before we would attract people's attention, I suggested we move to the guest room."

"Bella, dear, this is worse than pulling teeth. Was it good?"

I shuddered in pleasure at the mere thought of last night. "Yes, pretty much so."

The experience with Edward really didn't compare to anything I'd ever done before. It was the first time I had an orgasm during sex without any additional stimulation, manual or otherwise. He was the only one who had ever achieved that. Somehow we just fit. It felt like he knew how to make my body sing.

"How come he stayed over?" Alice knew very well that I didn't do sleepovers.

"I offered him half of the bed." I said sheepishly.

"You _offered_? Bella, what happened?" She sounded flabbergasted.

I shrugged my shoulders, not even sure myself why I wanted him to stay. "Alice, I don't know. It just seemed right." I paused a second, deliberating whether I should go on or not. Then I thought, what the heck? She knew me better than anyone else. "And it was … nice."

I didn't need to see my best friend to know that she was grinning from ear to ear on the other end of the line. "Did you sleep at all? And what was it like this morning? Will you see him again?"

"Yes, we did sleep, quite well, by the way. This morning we took a shower and then had breakfast with the two of you. No, it wasn't awkward, if that's what you're asking." I stopped because I didn't really know how to answer her last question.

She wouldn't let it go, though. "And, _will_ you see him again?"

"We will be working together quite closely, I think. But I know that's not what you mean. He said he wanted to do this again, and I gave him my card."

"Wow, that's a first. You seem to like him, don't you?" All of a sudden, Alice was very excited.

"He's nice, gorgeous, and we have a lot in common. But, don't get ahead of yourself. You know that I don't do relationships." I sounded like I was trying to remind myself. But still, I was sure of my rules.

"Well, I think we'll see about that." When she paused, I knew that she was about to touch an unpleasant topic. "Bella, you have to let go of Jacob and move on."

"I let go of him years ago. I'm not missing him, and I'm not still in love with him. That ship has sailed. I might miss the friend he once was. But, Alice, I can't allow anyone to hurt me like that again." Every one of my words was true. I wasn't yearning for Jake anymore; I hadn't been for years and I had been aware of that for a while now. Still, it didn't change the fact that I was afraid of history repeating itself, of a man I trusted hurting me.

"If you say so. Please, promise me to just be open-minded about Edward. He's really a great guy," she pleaded with me.

I sighed. "I'll try, I promise."

"Okay, then. Have a nice day. Talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye, Alice."

****POMH****

I spent the remainder of Sunday afternoon doing the laundry. I went to bed early. After all, I had to catch up on some sleep. Before I fell asleep, my cell phone rang. When I looked at the screen I saw a message from an unknown number.

_**Hello, beautiful. I wanted to tell you once again that I had a really great time last night and this morning. I hope to see you again soon. Good night. -E**_

His words made me oddly happy and, with a smile playing on my lips, I fell asleep.

****POMH****

When I woke up Monday morning, I felt like I'd been run over by a bus. Instead of getting a good night's sleep, I'd had vivid, unsettling dreams. They started out with Jasper, Alice, Jacob, and I visiting the fair. First, we rode on the merry-go-round, then we ate cotton candies, and after that, the guys won us two teddy bears by throwing balls at empty cans. We had a lot of fun. The laughter was still ringing in my ears. Then, the next thing I knew, Jacob was kissing me in my bedroom in Forks. We were standing in front of my mirror, both half naked. One thing led to another, and we were fooling around on the bed. Suddenly, with a grave expression, he said, "Bella, I love you." I'd been feeling uncomfortable all along. After I blinked my eyes, it wasn't Jake I was with, but Edward who smiled at me crookedly, saying, "I love you, beautiful." Without hesitating I answered him, "I love you, too," in a serious but very moved tone, and we had passionate sex.

When I opened my eyes, I felt confused, and the wetness between my thighs was a clear indication that the action in my dream had been really good.

I shook my head a few times, trying to get rid of the lingering bewilderment, before I climbed out of bed. The aching in my muscles, a reminder of Saturday night, only added to my overall feeling of unease.

At work, I only had to do some digital photo finishing for the comb cards I shot last week. That kind of work didn't demand enough attention to keep my mind from wandering

I was still feeling a little unsettled about last night's dream. Jacob hadn't been starring in my dreams for years now. Why was he suddenly back? Even after I had gone through the box the other day, he hadn't haunted me the nights after.

And what made me feel even more anxious was the fact that I had dreamed of Edward. I had to admit that he'd left quite an impression, but that didn't explain why my mind would dream up confessions of love.

I was sure that it was supposed to be a warning — that I should be on my guard. In a way, he was getting under my skin, and that meant potential danger.

However, the rational part of my mind was set on keeping the charismatic man who wanted to see me again, at bay, while my subconscious was already looking forward to our next meeting.

****POMH****

It took the scheming part of my mind until Wednesday to come up with a reason why I definitely needed to see someone at Edward's firm.

The two nights before had not been restorative, due to constant dreams featuring a certain man with beautiful green eyes and tousled bronze hair. Not only did I wake up with a lingering feeling of exhaustion, but also with a desire to feel Edward's hands on my skin.

I called Eric, the guy who was responsible for the campaign we would be shooting next week, and asked him for a meeting to go over the different subjects and scenes. He agreed to see me at eleven in the morning.

It took about an hour until we were through with planning the shooting. We'd be doing an ad campaign for a local department store. Nothing too exciting.

When we were finished, I had to think up a way to find Edward in this building where more than a hundred people were working, and even more importantly, I needed a reason to go see him. So I decided to swing by Jasper's office and try to inconspicuously interrogate him about the location of Edward's office.

It turned out that I had put way too much thought into this. As I knocked on Jasper's door, a velvety voice that spoke directly to my lady parts invited me in. Very cautiously, and with a hammering heart, I opened the door to find Edward bent over some papers on the desk. As soon as he saw me, his face lit up with a brilliant smile.

"Hello, Bella. What a surprise to see you. What brings you here?" I took three steps into the room and was met by Edward, who greeted me with a warm hug. I wasn't sure what I had expected, but certainly not that.

"Well, uhm, I had a meeting with Eric concerning the shooting that's scheduled for next week. And I figured, since I was in the neighborhood, I'd say hello to Jazz. Where is he, by the way?" I tried not to look into his eyes when he let go of me but failed miserably.

"Should I feel offended that you didn't come to see me?" His eyes were sparkling with amusement.

"I didn't know where to find you. Maybe I would have asked Jasper. But that doesn't seem to be necessary now. So, where is Jasper?" To hide my nervousness, I strolled over to the desk to take a look at the papers Edward had been occupied with.

"We were working together on something when he had to go to a meeting. Since all the paperwork and stuff is in this office, he suggested that I stay here, and thank God I did. Otherwise we wouldn't have met today." He was standing next to me now, but his eyes were on me instead of the desk.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to barge in and interrupt you. If you have to work — "

"No, no. I was about to take my lunch break, anyway. Would you care to join me? I'd be grateful for some company." His hand happened to brush over mine when he reached for his phone that was lying on the desk. Even this insignificant touch made my skin tingle in a very pleasant way.

"I'm sure Jessica would love to keep you company," I teased with the sweetest smile.

"I guess so, but I doubt the diner has a place for me to hide when, about two minutes into lunch, I can't stand her anymore. I'd much rather go with you." This time, he placed his hand on mine intentionally. Just like Saturday night, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body at the touch of his skin.

"I think I have to get back to the studio." Suddenly, I was afraid of what his presence was doing to me. I was inexplicably drawn to him.

"Please, Bella, just lunch. It'll take an hour tops." His eyes bore into mine, and my resolve crumbled.

"Okay, I guess an hour would be all right."

He chuckled once and placing his hand on the small of my back, guided me out of the office.

****POMH****

"Turkey on whole wheat bread and a soda, please." I smiled at the waitress as I placed my order.

"For me, the tuna on rye bread and an iced tea, please. Thank you." Edward's eyes met mine as soon as the waitress turned to leave.

We had decided to go to the little diner across the street from his office building. It was nice and clean. We were sitting in a booth in a quiet corner, with a view of the whole place.

"So, how did you spend the rest of your Sunday? Did you do anything interesting?" He smiled at me as he opened the buttons of his jacket. He was wearing a dark gray suit with a light gray shirt and a green tie that perfectly matched his wonderful eyes. I had to pull my gaze away from him before I was able to answer.

"After I finished being interrogated by Alice, I did my laundry and went to bed early." I rearranged the utensils on the table to keep my hands busy.

"Interrogated? About what?" He seemed to be amused by my choice of words.

"She demanded to know what happened Saturday night. Alice is very interested when it comes to my sex life." Visibly annoyed, I rolled my eyes.

"So, what did you tell her?" he asked curiously.

I was a little embarrassed. "The truth, or part of it, at least."

"What part?" he insisted.

"About the kissing and how we happened to end up in the guest room." I was glad the waitress interrupted us, serving our drinks and sandwiches.

"And that was all she wanted to know? I thought girlfriends shared every detail of their adventures." He took a bite of his food and grinned as he chewed.

"Well, Alice used to share everything, and I mean everything, with me when she was single. You have to know, she was kind of a wild child. There was a lot to share. And I know more than I like about what's happening in her and Jasper's bedroom." I took a bite of my sandwich too.

"And you? How much do you have to share?" I couldn't help myself, but he almost sounded a bit jealous.

"Not nearly as much as she had. Sometimes I have, but mostly I don't." This was not safe ground for me to walk on. So I said the first thing that came to my mind to change the subject. "She wanted to know if you were any good." As soon as it was out, I wanted to take it back.

He swallowed before he nonchalantly asked, "Well, was I?"

"You're not really asking that, are you? I thought men only do that in stupid jokes or bad porn movies." I took another bite.

"You brought it up, and now I'm curious." He grinned.

I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Let's say, you made me respond in ways I never have before," I whispered shyly. If it had been possible, I would have blushed even deeper.

"So, is that a good thing?" He struggled to paint a serious look on his face but couldn't quite suppress the smirk that was breaking through.

"Yes, it is. And this is the last I'm gonna say about it." To emphasize my words, I bit a big bite off my sandwich and started to chew with determination.

"Do you know how adorable you are when you blush like that?" He chuckled lowly before he ate the last bit of his lunch.

When I didn't answer, he cleared his throat before he asked, "So, was there anything else Alice wanted to know? Did you tell her any specifics?" Again, he raised his brow inquisitively.

"She wishes." I snickered quickly, while my mind started to plan my next move. I wanted to make sure that he knew I was all for repeating Saturday night, that I enjoyed his company, but that I wasn't looking for a relationship. "She asked if we would see each other again. I answered that I liked you, and that neither of us would mind having some fun together, but that she should stop planning the wedding, because that's not where this is going." I said all that in one breath to get it out without changing my mind.

"Right, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves." He took a sip of his iced tea while he seemed deep in thought. "But I want you to know that I really enjoy your company. I liked talking to you in our hideout. And of course, I liked what we did after that. I'd very much like us to be friends." His eyes held mine with a hopeful glimmer.

"I'd like that too," I replied truthfully.

It was hard to sit across the table from Edward without touching him, all the more because I knew how good his hands and lips had felt on my skin. When we were in Jasper's office, I had been a tad disappointed that Edward hadn't thrown me on the desk and taken me right there and then. I was feeling constantly aroused in his presence. But, although I would be the last one to admit it, his perfectly sculpted body wasn't the only reason. His mesmerizing personality was drawing me in as well.

We talked for a while longer until his lunch hour was up. Always the gentleman, Edward insisted on paying for everything. No matter how strongly I objected, he wouldn't let me pay.

In front of the entrance to his office building, we halted for a minute to say goodbye.

"Thanks for the meal. Once again, you should have let me pay." I looked up at him accusingly.

"Thank you for keeping me company. Believe me, it was worth the cost." He smiled radiantly before he continued. "Do you have any plans for the weekend?"

I had expected the question, and I'd changed my answer to it about a dozen times. I wanted to see him, have sex with him again, but I couldn't allow him to ask me out on a date. I didn't want to get into a relationship.

Although I had intended to keep my distance, I answered, "Alice and Jazz want to check out the new club downtown, and she insists on dragging me along. If you're interested, ask Jasper about the details." At least I had made clear that we would not be on a date. If he wanted to come, it would be a group thing.

"I will. I should start exploring this city now that I'm going to live here. Then I guess I'll see you Friday night." He bent down and kissed me on the cheek, maybe lingering there a moment too long to keep it casual. I was still reveling in the touch of his lips when he pulled away and whispered, "Goodbye, beautiful," before he turned and walked away.

********POMH********

**A/N:** So, what do you think? Alice is kind of nosy, right? But she's a real friend. And what about the lunch? That was awkward. What do you think will be happening next week? I'll give you a hint.

… "_Wait until we're alone. I promise I'll coax the most exquisite noises out of you." He chuckled while his lips caressed my ear. I quivered at the prospect of what Edward would do to me. _…

Sounds kind of hot, doesn't it? I hope you'll all be back next week. Until then, let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5 - Your place or mine?

**A/N:** Hi! I'm glad you're all back for chapter 5 of my little story. As I promised you, this chapter is going to be hot.

I was totally overwhelmed when the count of followers hit the 100 mark. I'm very grateful to all of you for following, reviewing and favoriting.

Before I'll let you get to the actual chapter, I want to thank my betas **AnthroBug** and **babykay18** from **Project Team Beta**. They made this chapter so much better. Due to the fact that I changed a few things around in the last minute, there might be a few errors. So every mistake you find is mine only. I also want to thank my pre-reader **VampGirl79** for her continuing support.

So now, here's a little smut for you.

**Disclaimer: **SM is the owner of all things Twilight, and I'm willing to kiss her feet for making all this here possible.

******POMH******

Chapter 5 – Your place or mine?

Friday didn't come fast enough for my taste. While at night he hadn't ceased to star in my dreams, during the day, I tried my best to keep my mind off Edward Cullen. I worked a little more than necessary at my studio, cleaned my apartment — although it had already been spotless before — and I cleaned out my wardrobe. It was all to no avail. Friday night still didn't arrive fast enough.

I wanted to see Edward. My body was aching for the way only he had ever touched me. Although I couldn't wait to see him again, and I wanted him like I'd never wanted any other man before, I needed to make it clear to him that we were not dating. We were becoming friends, but there was nothing remotely romantic between us. At least, that was the way I intended it to be.

When it was finally time to get dressed, I stood in front of my open closet, wondering what to wear. I had already put on a black lace bra with the matching thong. After trying on almost half of my wardrobe, I finally settled on a black leather miniskirt, combined with an oversized black t-shirt with a wide neckline, which fell to the side, exposing my shoulder. Tugging the shirt into the skirt, I went to the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, I loosely pinned up my hair and put on a bit of make up. I knew good make-up could work miracles, but I didn't like painting my face. So I went with a light foundation, a little bit of natural looking eye-shadow, a little kohl, and mascara. To finish, I put on a rosy lip gloss, and I was good to go.

When my phone rang, I knew Alice and Jasper were waiting for me downstairs. On the way to the door, I slipped into my favorite black stilettos, which Alice called my "fuck-me-heels", grabbed my coat and purse, and was out the door.

"Hey, Bella. I hope you're up for a night on the town. I'm not planning on going home before dawn," Alice greeted me as I sat down in the backseat of Jasper's BMW.

"Hi, guys. A night on the town is exactly what I need today. Let's go."

When we arrived at the club, there was a long line in front of the entrance. After Jasper handed the key to his car to the valet, we walked straight to the doorman. We were allowed inside immediately. Jasper had handled the promotion for the club, so he had our names put on the guest list. After checking our coats, we entered the big room with a long bar and giant dance floor. It was quite dark inside, though spotlights danced around, illuminating the room just enough.

The club was very stylish and the number one address in Seattle right now. After admiring the design, we headed for the bar.

"What can I do for you, ladies?" the bartender asked, winking at Alice. Jasper had been held up by a client somewhere on the way through the crowd.

"Two martinis, please," she replied curtly, smiling politely at the man in the white shirt and black vest.

While we were waiting for our drinks, I tried to take an inconspicuous look around the room, searching for a certain man with disheveled bronze hair. The feeling of disappointment at his apparent absence put a damper on my mood. I had to remind myself that this was neither a date, nor had he actually said he'd be here.

"Don't worry. He'll come. I'm sure," Alice shouted into my ear. It was too loud in there for a normal conversation.

"What are you talking about? I'm not waiting for anyone," I answered nonchalantly.

Before Alice could disagree, the bartender placed the martinis in front of us. With our drinks in hand, we turned to watch the dance floor. The music was loud, and the beat went straight to my stomach. We sipped our drinks in silence, swinging slightly to the rhythm. Although it was only 10 p.m., the club was packed with people.

"I have to go find Jasper. Do you want to come along, or do you want to wait here?" Alice asked when she had finished her martini.

I looked down at the empty glass in my hand. "No, I'll wait. I need another one of these to get in the mood."

"Okay, see you later, then." With those words, she was gone to look for her boyfriend.

I turned to face the bar, waiting to order another drink. A few minutes later, still trying to get the barkeepers attention, I shuddered with excitement, feeling warm lips planting a kiss on my bare shoulder. "Hello, beautiful," a velvety voice that made my insides flutter, breathed against my ear.

Whirling around, I was greeted by a pair of bright green eyes and a breathtakingly crooked smile.

"Hi," was all I could manage to say.

Edward's face came very close to mine so he could whisper or, considering the noise, rather scream into my ear. "Did you already order?" I shook my head in response. "What do you want to drink?" I turned my head slightly to reach his ear with my mouth before I said, "Martini."

He waved at the bartender, and when he came over to us, Edward placed his order. "Martini for the lady and a beer for me, please."

As the guy walked away, Edward turned to face me again. "You're alone? Where are Jazz and Alice?" he asked, smiling at me.

"Jazz ran into a client, and Alice went to rescue him."

"So, I have you all to myself, then?" The pleased expression on his face made me forget the few hundred people around us. I was feeling sparks flying through the air.

"Well, at least for now. It's just you, me, and this room full of strangers." That second, someone bumped into me, and I was pushed against Edward's chest. As I was about to lose my balance, he wrapped his arms around me and held me close to keep me from falling.

"Are you alright? If not, that drunken jerk will pay for it." He looked down at me with concern in his eyes as I felt my body melt in his tight embrace.

"No, I'm okay. It's just that my balance is not the best in these stupid heels." I took a whiff of his delicious scent, and for a second, closed my eyes to fully savor it.

"I like the heels." I noticed his gaze move from my face down to my feet and back up again. His eyes lingered first on my thighs, then on my breasts for a short second, before they met mine again. "And the rest or your outfit, for that matter. I'm happy to be of service whenever your balance becomes an issue."

Once again, I felt his eyes undress me, and I wished we were alone so his hands could do what his eyes were trying to.

"So, can I let go of you now? Or will you collapse?" His eyes were sparkling mischievously.

Annoyed by the assumption that I might be clumsy, I pushed him away. "No, I'm fine on my own."

Edward chuckled when I turned away from him and smiled invitingly at the bartender, who set the beer and the martini in front of us.

"Cheers!" Edward clinked his bottle to my glass before he lifted it to his lips and downed half the bottle in one go.

Needing the alcohol to recover from the uproar Edward's touch had caused in me, I took three big gulps before I set the glass on the counter again.

"Hi, Edward. You came. That's great." Alice appeared behind us, dragging Jasper along with her. "See, I told you so," she said to me more quietly. I tried to elbow her in the ribs as inconspicuously as possible to make her shut up.

"Hey, man. Good to see you," Jasper shouted, hitting Edward on the shoulder. "I know Chicago has more nightlife than Seattle, but I hope you'll enjoy what Seattle has to offer."

Looking at me, he answered, "Seattle certainly has attractions Chicago can't hold a candle to."

We had a few rounds and laughed a lot, when the music changed, and Alice started to jump up and down. "Bella, I love this song. You have to dance with me." Without waiting for a sign of consent, she pulled me away from the guys to the center of the dance floor.

As we started to move to the sweeping beat, I realized that I was feeling a little lightheaded. After all, I'd had at least five martinis and two tequila shots. I gave in to the vibe and moved my hips, waving my arms over my head.

When a new song began, Jasper appeared behind Alice, and the instant she saw him, she turned to throw her arms around his neck. A minute later they were lost in the crowd.

Disappointed to be left alone in the middle of the dance floor, I was about to turn around and go to have another drink, when two strong arms wrapped around me, and a warm body was pressed against my back. I didn't have to turn around to know who was dancing with me. The sexual tension was unmistakable, and Edward's intoxicating scent was surrounding me.

His blazing lips trailed along my neck as our hips started to move in unison. "Do you have any idea how sexy you are when you're dancing?" He bit my earlobe before he continued. "And that wicked little skirt of yours has been driving me insane all night." After pulling me close to make me feel his body's response to my inviting outfit, he put his hands on my hips and turned me around to face him.

His eyes were clouded with lust when he pulled me close again. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he bent down to kiss me. Without wasting any time, our mouths opened and our ravenous tongues found each other.

Our hips still moved to the beat when Edward's hands grabbed my butt and pulled me hard against his erection. Totally turned on by his arousal, I moaned into his mouth.

No one seemed to be concerned that we were shamelessly making out in the middle of a crowded club. Our mouths were devouring one another, while our hands were groping each other's body. I didn't know how long we had been grinding against each other, but when my entrance was throbbing and my hard nipples were aching to be touched, it became too much. Edward seemed to feel it too, when he pulled away from my fevered lips and groaned into my ear. "Your place or mine?"

"I live ten minutes from here," I choked out as he kissed my throat.

"Then my place it is. If we take a taxi, we'll be there in five." His tongue captured mine one more time, before he turned me away from him and shoved me through the crowd toward the exit.

"We have to say goodbye to Alice and Jazz," I said as his fingers were tapping impatiently on the counter of the checkroom, while we were waiting for the attendant to get our coats.

"I'm quite sure they'll know where we are," he answered, helping me into my jacket.

We took a taxi that stood waiting in front of the club, and as soon as Edward had told the driver his address, he turned to me again, kissing my lips fervently. His left hand that had been resting on my knee began to travel upward until his fingers reached my thong. I felt him smile against my lips when he found the pool of wetness between my thighs.

Pushing the lace aside, his eager fingers started to stroke up and down my folds. I struggled to suppress the moans that threatened to escape my throat.

"Wait until we're alone. I promise I'll coax the most exquisite noises out of you." He chuckled quietly while his lips caressed my ear. I quivered at the prospect of what Edward would do to me.

It really only took five minutes until the car stopped in front of a modern, expensive-looking apartment building. Edward paid the driver generously before he took my hand and pulled me with him, past the doorman he only nodded at, and into the one elevator that was waiting with open doors.

As soon as the doors closed, we were all over each other once more, tongues dancing, and Edward's hands were under my skirt, grabbing my bare cheeks. I couldn't wait to feel his skin on mine again. When the elevator had reached the right floor, the doors opened, and we stumbled down the hall to his door, unwilling to break our wild lip-lock.

In his apartment, he quickly urged me into the bedroom where we climbed onto his bed together. As I lay down on my back, his lips suddenly broke away from mine, when his hands impatiently pushed my skirt up around my waist. A second later, he yanked my thong down, leaving my legs and loins exposed. He pushed my knees apart forcefully before his tongue attacked my throbbing nub.

"Uhhh" I moaned out in pleasure, surprised by the sudden strike. I had no idea what he was doing differently from any other man I had been with, but unlike anyone else, his touch set my whole being on fire.

His skillful tongue circled my pearl, his mouth sucked it in, as I was feeling increasingly lightheaded. Just like he had promised on the ride here, I was unable to hold back my loud moans of ecstasy. My right hand grabbed Edward's hair, pulling him impossibly closer, while my left hand was holding onto the sheet. Very soon, my excitement reached the boiling point, and I panted frantically, my toes curling, as orgasmic waves washed over my shivering body.

But instead of being pleased with himself and moving on to some other part of me, Edward didn't stop his ministrations. Post climax, my clit was extremely sensitive, and I tried to squirm out of his continuing assault. But he wouldn't let me. Very determinedly, he went on enticing my pulsating bud to send jolt after jolt of pleasure through my body. Only moments later, I reached another climax, moaning even louder than the time before.

Still, he didn't let go of me. My head was spinning like crazy, and my breathing was all over the place. Edward was making good on his promise, as I felt my throat fill with noises I wasn't even able to hear coming out in my state of unbearable arousal.

"Edward, please, I can't," I whimpered. I was feeling drained, unable to handle another orgasm when he demanded, "You can. Come on, just once more."

His words turned me on a lot, and he seemed to double his efforts once more, so that moments later, my back arched up, my hands frantically pulling his hair, and I cried out in the most overwhelming orgasm.

This time he stopped, kissing my bud one last time, before he slowly and with pleasure started to finally undress me. In the process, his lips, tongue, and hands paid attention to every inch of my exposed skin. I was lying there, unable to move, gazing in wonder at the beautiful man who seemed to know exactly which of my buttons to push to get the reaction he was after.

When he was done stripping me of my clothes, he undressed himself before coming back to me, pressing his lips to mine in an almost tender gesture. As his blazing tongue moved along my bottom lip, I opened my mouth, willingly letting him in to be met by my own greedy tongue.

I noticed Edward reaching for the nightstand, opening the drawer and grabbing a condom. He pulled his lips away from mine, just long enough to put the condom on. Then he kissed me again, more demanding than before, as he slid his hard length inside me. Our linked mouths muffled our collective moan of arousal.

He moved inside me deeply and forcefully but not in a rush. He took his time, having his way with me, and I was putty in his hands. My body responded in the most incredible ways to every kiss, touch, and thrust.

After a few minutes, I felt stronger again. I pushed against Edward's chest, and without breaking our searing kiss, he rolled onto his back, keeping me sitting on him with straddled legs. I detached my lips from his, sat up and started moving my hips back and forth. Edward moaned with pleasure, a smile showing on his lips.

The way his hardness rubbed my walls without really moving in or out, caused a wonderful sensation, and I had to close my eyes to fully savor it.

Then Edward put his thumb in his mouth and placed the finger between my thighs, once again rubbing my swollen bundle of nerves. I moved my hips a few more times, before a sudden burst of fireworks shook my body. I screamed out as I came hard and fast. I felt the muscles of my sex gripping Edward's cock, making him follow suit. "Oh, Bella, fuck, oh fuck." He moaned breathlessly as he came, wildly thrusting upward into me.

When his movements died down, I collapsed on top of him, giggling hysterically, and he was laughing with me. His strong arms held me close to him as we both waited for our erratic breathing to calm down.

"Did I promise you too much?" Edward asked me, smugness clearly audible in his voice.

"No. This was a lot more than I expected." I kissed his lips softly before burying my face in his chest. I had never felt as good as I was feeling right then with Edward's arms around me.

"I think, I should — " I started, after a while, but he didn't let me finish.

"No, you should stay where you are. If you want to, I'll drive you home in the morning." Unwilling to put up with any objection, he pulled the blanket over the two of us and started stroking my back in a very soothing way. When he began to hum a sweet tune, the exertions of the last hour took their toll, and I quickly fell asleep.

********POMH********

**A/N:** So, is it hot in here or what? I hope you enjoyed Edward and Bella's evening. They obviously did. Well, what's next? We're going to learn a little bit about Edward's past.

… "_I think you have a right to know. You're not _the other woman_. _I_ don't cheat."_ …

Did that pique your interest? I hope so, because I want to meet all of you next Tuesday for chapter 6. Until then, let me hear your thoughts on the night on the town. CU


	6. Chapter 6 - Revelations

**A/N:** Welcome back to all of you. I'm so glad that so many of you seem to like my story. It's a bit like a third baby to me, and I'm really happy to be able to share it with you.

Thanks to my dear friend and pre-reader **Vampgirl79** I got nominated in two categories for the _TwiFic Fandom Awards_. She nominated me for _Favorite Newbie Author_ and _Favorite Fangirl_. I'm feeling honored to be mentioned in the same category as writers like planetblue, 2old4fanfic or Redtini. I really love their stories and I can only recommend them warmly to you. Their fics are great. Vampgirl79 herself as well as some of her great stories are nominated in several categories, as well. You should check those out, too. So you see, I'm definitely a fangirl. Here's the link for the vote

_twificfandomawards dot __blogspot dot de/p/vote dot html_

Replace the dot with . and you'll get there. Please, you should all go over there and vote, not for me but for every writer and fic you love. They deserve it.

Before I let you read the chapter and finally learn about Edward's background story, I want to thank my betas **shinrai** and **StoryPainter** from **PTB**. They really polished this chapter.

Now I'll leave you to the story. See you at the end.

******POMH******

Chapter 6 – Revelations

I woke when the sunshine crept into Edward's bedroom, my head resting on his chest, his hand on my back. I was feeling cozy and warm, unwilling to do anything that could disturb this moment of security. His skin was soft and comforting against mine, while the air around us was heavy with a mixture of Edward's scent and the faintly lingering odor of sex.

While I was still reveling in the perfection of this morning, my mind started to ruin everything. A little voice in my head reminded me that, again, I'd let a man be closer than I actually felt comfortable with. This was too close to being in a relationship.

I had made it clear to Edward I wasn't looking for a boyfriend, and he hadn't objected.

I couldn't take the conflicting feelings inside me any longer, so I decided to flee the bed and bring myself to a safer place, away from Edward's warm and wonderful body.

On my way out of the bedroom, I found satin pajamas lying on a chair. I grabbed the top and sneaked out of the room.

After going to the bathroom, I ventured to explore the apartment, wearing nothing but Edward's pajama top. First, I opened the door to the room that was right next to the bedroom. Peeking inside, I saw that it was crammed with unpacked boxes and pieces of furniture wrapped in plastic. In one corner stood a jar containing paint for the walls as well as a paint roller and a few brushes. He didn't seem to be done moving in yet.

I closed the door again, making my way to the living room. It was spacious with pale beige walls, a big, comfortable-looking, off-white sofa, and a glass coffee table. Behind that, there was a metal rack with panes of glass. A big, high-end plasma TV was standing on it.

On the far side of the room, there was a dining table with six chairs in front of a wide window. Left to it was a spacious open kitchen. The furniture was of high quality and modern, but didn't make the room seem cold. The whole place, except for the kitchen and the bathroom, was laid-out with a dark hardwood floor. The frame of the coffee table, the dining table, the shelf unit, that covered one of the walls from floor to ceiling, and the two chests of drawers, that stood against the opposite wall, were all made of dark wood, as well.

The kitchen cupboards had vanilla-colored glossy doors, while the cabinets seemed to be made of the same wood the rest of the furniture was. I opened a few doors before I found a glass and filled it with water from the faucet.

After downing a few mouthfuls, I inspected my surroundings again. Edward had a beautiful home that seemed to perfectly match his personality. It was warm, modern, elegant, but still comfortable. I had always imagined to, one day, live in a house decorated like this.

I strolled back into the living room, stopping in front of the shelf-covered wall. The racks were only partly filled with books and CD's. Against the wall stood several boxes labeled "books" and "music".

Curious as I was about this apartment's inhabitant, I opened one box and took out a few CD's. He had a lot of jazz and indie rock, some contemporary bands and many old ones. And there were some CD's with classical music as well. I took a look at the CD's that were already sitting on the shelves and understood at once that Edward arranged his music alphabetically by performer's names. So I figured I might help him unpack a little.

The third CD I looked at had a small piece of paper under the lid, which read "To Edward – from Tanya". I paused, wondering about the meaning of that message but tried not to think too much into it. After five more, there was another one with a message, "For my Valentine — Love, Tanya". When I found several more messages from this ominous Tanya, I couldn't keep part of my mind from worrying about that connection. Still, I went on unpacking the box I had started with until it was empty.

Then, I took a look at Edward's books. He had a lot of the classics but some modern stuff as well. When I took a wonderful copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ from the rack and opened it, there was an inscription, saying "To my Romeo, from your Juliet. Love, Tanya". It struck me as odd that Edward would have so many items with a certain woman's name on them, but afraid of being perceived as nosy, I decided to just start unpacking another box.

When I was almost done with the third box, I heard footsteps coming from the bedroom and entering the living room. I turned around to see Edward, wearing the pajama bottoms matching my top, his chest bare, his hair more disheveled than usual, a plain white t-shirt in his hands.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said after kissing my lips for a short moment. He looked around then shook his head. "You have to know, that I didn't bring you here to unpack my stuff."

"Believe me, I know exactly what you brought me here for. How could I forget about that?" I said, biting my lip, as I ran my index finger down the middle of his bare chest, stopping at his belly button. Then I turned around to face the chaos. "But this place really looks like you're rather packing to go back to Chicago. So I figured, I might just help you a little. You aren't, are you? Going back, I mean." I tried not to sound too eager, but the thought of Edward leaving Seattle stung.

"No, I'm not. I just don't like moving, so I have been postponing unpacking a lot." He laughed humorlessly before his expression became unreadable when he added, "My family wouldn't let me come back, anyway."

What was that supposed to mean? He had told me he was close to his family. Why would they want him to live as far away as Seattle? Edward didn't seem inclined to say anything more about it, so I decided not to press the subject.

"Are you hungry? I'll make you breakfast," he offered. Apparently, his mood was back to normal.

My stomach growled before I could answer.

"Okay. What do you like? I suggest eggs and bacon?" He smiled his beautiful lopsided smile, while his green eyes sparkled at me.

"That would be perfect. Can I do anything to help?"

"No. Just keep me company, and I'll be fine," he said, as he headed toward the kitchen, pulling his t-t-shirt over his head.

There was a kitchen island, separating the kitchen from the living/dining room with a breakfast bar attached to it. I sat down on one of the bar stools and realized, for the first time, that I wasn't wearing any underwear. I tried to ignore that fact as I watched Edward whirling around the kitchen cooking breakfast. He appeared to be quite a skilled cook. I always found that sexy in a man.

Ten minutes later, breakfast was ready, and after placing a plate with deliciously smelling eggs and bacon in front of me, he sat down beside me.

"Hmm, this is great. Where did you learn to cook like this?" I asked him very unladylike with my mouth full of food.

"My mother thinks men should know their way around the kitchen as well as women should, so she started to teach me when I was five."

I tried to imagine a mini version of Edward, helping his mom preparing dinner and had to smile at the picture. We chewed in comfortable silence, until we both had cleared our plates.

"So, did you find anything interesting between my CD's or books? Anything embarrassing?" he asked as he rinsed the plates in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher.

When he turned around to face me again, I decided I couldn't ignore what I had found in his stuff.

"Edward, uhm, there's something I need to know. Who's Tanya? Don't get me wrong, I'm not jealous or anything — " Of course I was, but I didn't want him to be aware of it. " — but I don't want to be the other woman. That's something I just don't do."

I wasn't looking at him while I asked the question I didn't want to ask. When there was no answer, I looked up, searching his face, and what I saw made me feel like I had kicked him in the gut. His lips were pressed together in an angry line while his eyes were squeezed shut in what seemed to be pain. Quickly, I walked a few steps forward but halted before I reached him, unsure of what to do.

"Edward, I'm sorry, I didn't want to — "

"It's okay," he cut me off. "I think you have a right to know. You're not _the other woman_. _I_ don't cheat." He led me to the couch and motioned for me to sit down as he took a seat beside me.

"Tanya was my girlfriend. We'd been together for five years before I found her in _our _apartment in _our_ bed with a friend of mine on top of her, right after I had picked out her engagement ring." He took a few breaths before he continued. "I wanted to marry her, while she had nothing better to do than fuck my friend. After we broke up, I found out that it had not been the first time, neither had it been the first guy. All that time, she'd been fucking around behind my back and I was too stupid to notice."

I wanted to say something, to tell him how sorry I was, when his intense gaze kept me from opening my mouth.

"I was in a really bad place after the break-up. I threw her out, right after she got dressed, and never saw her again. But I was hurting badly. I tried to numb the pain and embarrassment by drinking and partying a lot and sleeping around with lots of random women whose names I didn't even know, most of the time. Never the same woman twice; never did we exchange anything personal. My family was very worried about me and my lifestyle. So, when the job offer from Seattle came, they convinced me that it would be best if I left Chicago and started over somewhere else, some place that doesn't hold painful memories, where I might be able to move on and give up my unhealthy behavior. And that's how I ended up here."

After a moment of silence, I laid my hand on his. "I'm really sorry. It's hard to discover that someone is a completely different person than you thought. And that after five years." I paused for a second, letting what I'd just said sink in. "Wow, five years. That's a very long time."

"Is it? How long was your longest relationship?" he asked, honestly interested.

"Uhm," I cleared my throat. I didn't like to speak about my track record. "Six months." I was kind of embarrassed.

"Six months? Are all guys in Seattle idiots?" His eyes were wide with astonishment.

"Most of them are, but it's me. I'm not good with relationships. I'm not good with commitment. That's why I don't do it anymore." I hoped that he was getting the hint. "But I don't like to talk about it."

"Well, another time then." He sounded confident that I would eventually tell him about my history. "So, how do you like my place?" he asked, obviously changing the subject.

"It's really beautiful. I like the color scheme and the furniture. I love the kitchen. But what about the other room? It doesn't even seem to be painted, yet."

"It isn't. I didn't get to that yet. It's going to be an office/guest room. There's a lot to do before it can serve as that, I know. But I'm not good with paint, and I definitely need help with that."

"Painting is not that hard. I painted my whole apartment myself." I was aware that my words were kind of an invitation to ask for my help. But somehow my mind seemed to be on autopilot right then, trying to find a way to prolong the time I had with him.

"You did? You wouldn't happen to be free today? All the necessary equipment is already here." His eyes were bright with anticipation.

"Well, since I'm not going to get home unless you drive me, and you don't seem inclined to do so, I'm stuck here. I may as well paint your guest room to pay for the fare home. It's just that I think I would present an interesting sight painting a room wearing leather skirt and heels." I smiled at him suggestively.

"It would be a very sexy sight, and I most certainly wouldn't mind. Or you could keep wearing my pajama top. It looks great on you. But I would be willing to give you one of my old shirts, some sweatpants and socks and we're good to go." With these words he pulled me after him to his bedroom, laughing complacently.

********POMH********

**A/N:** So, how did you like Edward's story? Did you suspect it? Tanya's a bitch. She really did a number on him. And what about next week? There's going to be some painting and a little bit of bonding.

… "_I guess you discovered one of my darkest secrets. I'm afraid I'll have to kill you to keep you from telling on me." A playful glare accompanied his mock threat. … _

There will be more of this last week. Until then, you know how much I love reviews. Bye


	7. Chapter 7 - MIA

**A/N:** Hi again! Another week has passed and here's the next chapter of my little story. I'm so happy that so many people seem to enjoy it. Just so you know, this chapter is a little shorter than the others and it's kind of a filler to get to some lemony goodness in chapter 8. But I'll tell you more about that in the end.

I want to shout out a big thank you to my betas **evelyn-shaye** and **EdwardsMate4ever** from **PTB** who did a great job, giving me a lot to think about and change to make this better for you. And as always, I want to thank my friend and pre-reader **Vampgirl79** for her support and for nominating me for the _TwiFic Fandom Awards_ in the categories _Favorite Newbie Author_ and _Favorite Fangirl_. For all of you who haven't voted for their favorite authors and stories yet, there's still time to vote until November 5th. So many great writers and stories are nominated. You should really go check it out.

Now I'll finally leave you to chapter 7. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **As you all know, Twilight's not mine, yada, yada, yada...

******POMH******

Chapter 7 – MIA

I looked plain stupid wearing Edward's old clothes. Everything was about ten sizes too large for me. Trying to make the best of it, I knotted the checkered flannel shirt around my waist and rolled up the sleeves and the waist of the washed-out gray sweat shorts. At least I was able to move unhindered by the clothes. When Edward saw my finished painting attire, he smirked at me.

"Well, you can pull off even the most hideous outfit and somehow manage to make it look sexy. Actually, seeing you like this gives me lots of ideas," he said seductively, taking the knot in his hand, pulling me closer.

I was very tempted to let him have his way, but apart from the fact that my mind was set on getting this job done, I needed to keep a bit of distance between us. So I laid my hands on his chest and gently pushed him away before he could kiss me, which had clearly been his intention.

"No. Not now, anyway. This room is going to be painted today, even if I have to do it on my own, because I can't trust you around me." I raised my brow, faking a threat.

"Okay, okay, okay." His hands were up in the air in a gesture of capitulation. "I promise to be good — for now. Let's get started."

****POMH****

A few hours later, the walls in Edward's office/guest room had a new layer of light green paint. It really looked bright and welcoming. After freeing the dark wooden desk and a few sets of shelves from their plastic wrappers, the room matched the rest of the apartment's décor perfectly. We had piled the boxes that had yet to be unpacked in one corner to make the rest of the room look tidy.

"Now, all I have to do is buy a fold-out sofa and unpack the rest of my stuff, and this could pass for a guest room. Thanks so much for your help." We were standing next to each other, our backs to the door, admiring our work.

"What do you need a fold-out sofa for? I thought guests were welcome in your bed?" I shot him a mischievous grin.

"That only applies to special guests." Again, he grabbed the knot on the shirt, pulling me closer. This time, I didn't stop him. His presence had made me feel kind of dizzy all day.

Without another word, he touched his lips to mine, nibbling my upper lip with his. Our kiss didn't stay innocent and playful for long. So, before it could unfold into another round in the bedroom, I pulled away. My body was desperate for his touch, but for once, the reasonable part of me won out, saying I should finally leave.

"I think we have to postpone that. It's time for me to go home." I said the words softly, careful not to make him feel rejected.

"When have you last taken a look at yourself?" He sounded amused as the corners of his mouth curled up in a grin. "You can't go home looking like that. You're covered in green sprinkles from head to toe. Go take a shower, and I'll order pizza. I insist on feeding you before I take you home. It's the least I can do to thank you." He turned around and left the room, not giving me any chance to object.

****POMH****

I came back into the living room, wearing Edward's bathrobe and drying my hair with a towel, when I saw that he had set two plates and two wine glasses on the coffee table. I looked around to find him in the kitchen, opening a bottle of red wine.

"I hope you like wine?" he said as he noticed me standing in front of the kitchen island. "I wasn't sure. So far, I've only seen you drink liquor."

"Apart from beer, I drink almost anything. But, you didn't have to," I answered, gesturing toward the set table.

"Yes, I did." He went over and poured wine in both glasses. "Now, I'll go take a shower, too. You make yourself comfortable. The pizza will be here in a few minutes. If I'm still in the bathroom, there's money on the little table next to the door."

With those words, he was gone. I went to the bedroom, putting on my club outfit from Friday night, before I sat down on the couch.

When Edward joined me, wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt, I had already emptied my glass and the pizza was on the table.

"Sorry that I kept you waiting," he said, noticing the empty glass. "I hope you weren't bored."

"Not at all. I took a look at your DVD collection. I can't believe you have all Elvis Presley movies. I mean, they're all bad. I thought I was the only person under the age of, say fifty, who loves them."

"I guess you discovered one of my darkest secrets. I'm afraid I'll have to kill you to keep you from telling on me." A playful glare accompanied this mock threat.

"Your secret's safe with me. You even have _Blue Hawaii_. I haven't seen that one in a while," I said as he sat down beside me, refilling my glass.

"Then, I suggest that we watch it over dinner. The entertainment center is still unused. I have to try it out, anyway." Nipping at my wine, I watched Edward getting the DVD started. I still couldn't believe that we both were into something as unusual as those movies. I mean, I never before met anyone remotely my age who even knew them.

We ate in silence, enjoying the wonderfully bad old movie. After finishing the pizza, we sat back and took a more comfortable position, our bodies touching from shoulder to knee.

In the middle of the film, just when Elvis started to sing "Can't Help Falling In Love", I noticed that Edward had fallen asleep. For a minute, I thought about waking him to have him drive me home, but then I decided to let him sleep. I could still wake him when the movie was over.

****POMH****

_Ring, ring, ring._

"Shit, what is that?" I mumbled, my voice muffled by something I seemed to be speaking into. I felt comfortably warm where I was. It took me a second to realize that I wasn't alone and that I wasn't lying in my bed.

_Ring, ring, ring._

The body next to me stirred at the noise. When I opened my eyes, I recognized that I was lying in Edward's arms, my face buried in his chest.

"Fuck! We must have fallen asleep." He cursed as he struggled to get up from the couch to retrieve the still-ringing phone.

"Hello?" he answered, his voice sounding very annoyed. "Good morning, Alice."

Alice? Why was Alice calling Edward's house?

"Yes, she's here. Okay, wait a minute." He came over, handing me the phone.

"Alice? What is it? What's wrong?" I asked as I got up from the sofa.

"What's wrong? I've tried to call your cell for about twenty-four hours, and every call has gone straight to voice mail. I've been calling your house, to no avail. Your answering machine is filled with messages, telling you to call me back. I've been worried. I was about to call the police and report you as missing when Jasper told me to try Edward first. After all, he was the last person to see you alive. Have you been there all along?" She really sounded worried. But in the end of her tirade there was a hint of excitement, too.

"Alice, calm down. Everything's all right. My battery must have died." I signaled to Edward that I was going to the bedroom to finish the conversation. "I'm sorry I had you worried." I closed the door behind me. "Yes, I've been here since Friday night."

"Bella, you've never done that before. What happened? What have you been doing all this time? You have to be really sore." I heard her giggle on the other end.

"We came here after the club to _you know what_. Then I stayed over. Yesterday, I happened to help Edward paint his guest room. And we must have both fallen asleep, watching a DVD last night. Otherwise, I would have gone home. Nothing happened after Friday night." I felt like a teenager again, explaining to Charlie why I blew past my curfew.

"Nothing happened? Tell that to the Marines."

"Nothing. Happened," I repeated calmly. "We had breakfast, we talked, we painted, we ate, we fell asleep. End of story. We're friends. That's all." I wanted to end this discussion. To be honest, I wasn't sure myself how this weekend could have happened.

"Are you going home today, or are you moving in with him?" Again, her excitement outweighed her irritation.

"No, I'll be home in about an hour. I'll talk to you then."

"Okay. Bye, Bella."

When I returned to the living room, I saw Edward whirling around in the kitchen, and the scent of pancakes was in the air.

"Hmm, breakfast again? You're spoiling me. You should have just taken me home." I stopped at the kitchen island.

"No problem. I kept you here. At least I have to keep you fed. I'll take you home after breakfast." He put another set of pancakes in the pan.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Nope. Just sit down and wait till I serve you." He smirked at his suggestive statement.

"Just breakfast, please. I really have to go home today." I laughed lightly as I sat down.

The pancakes were really good, and this time, Edward actually drove me over to my place. He pulled into a free spot in front of my building and killed the engine.

"I really enjoyed the last two days. And thanks again for the paint job. Without your help, I might not have had an office until, well, at least next year." His body was turned toward me, his right arm on the seat back, his left hand on the wheel.

"I had a lot of fun, too. And there's no need to keep thanking me. I didn't have anything planned for yesterday, anyway." I turned to face him, as well.

"So … " He started but didn't finish.

"So, maybe we'll see each other next weekend? Alice, Jasper and I go out dancing almost every Friday." I was careful not to officially ask him to come. That would have been too close to a date. I wanted to see him, and have fun with him, but I didn't want to date.

"I'll talk to Jasper about it," he said, neither confirming nor refusing.

"I, uhm, should go. Alice will call me again soon. And if I'm not home, then she'll probably think you're holding me hostage and call the police." I bit my lip. A part of me was unwilling to leave.

"Then you should go." He leaned over, planting a quick kiss on my lips, before he captured me in a slightly longer hug. "Have a nice week, then."

I left his car, and before actually entering my building, I watched Edward's silver Volvo speed off.

********POMH********

**A/N:** Hi again. What do you think about Bella's and Edward's mutual liking of Elvis Presley movies? I needed to come up with something unusual they could bond over. Has anyone of you ever seen any of them? I've almost seen them all, but Blue Hawaii is one of my favorites along with another that's going to come up a little later in the story.

How about their second night together in a row? Did you see it coming? I know, most of you were hoping for a little smut again but that'll have to wait until next week. Anyone interested in a little teaser? Here it goes:

… "_Tell me what you like, baby!" he demanded, slamming himself in deeper._

_I moaned again. "I like you inside me." _

"_What do you want me to do to you? Tell me!" His eyes sparkled wickedly, grinding but not moving, as he waited for my response. … _

Is that hot or is it hot? I give you another hint, chapter 8 is named "Dirty Talk". For all of you who are up for a longer teaser, there's going to be one on FicTease tonight. I hope to meet you all again next week. And don't forget to tell me what you think.


	8. Chapter 8 - Dirty Talk

**A/N:** Hi! Finally, it's Tuesday again, my favorite day of the week. Every review and every notification about a new follower or favorite puts a wide smile on my face.

So, after two chapters without any lemons, it's going to get a little dirty again in this one. But I guess, you already knew, considering the name of the chapter.

Before I let you enjoy the smut, I want to shout out a quick thank you to my betas **darcysmom** and **EdwardsMate4ever** from **PTB **and to my pre-reader **Vampgirl79**. You help me a lot making the story what it is.

Now, enjoy another hot encounter between Bella and Edward. See you at the end.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Twilight but I bow my head in adoration to Stephenie Meyer who made all this possible.

******POMH******

Chapter 8 – Dirty talk

After another long phone call from Alice, I was glad to finally be able to change my clothes. It was unsettling how quiet my apartment felt after spending almost two days in Edward's company. Usually, I enjoyed being alone in my home, spending my time reading, listening to music or watching TV. But today, I was feeling lonely. The silence around me was, for once, disturbing rather than comfortable.

The sex Friday night was phenomenal. To be honest, it was the best I'd ever had. Although it was the only time we'd done it over the weekend, the time out of the bedroom had given us the chance to bond as friends. It had been fun. I really liked Edward as a person, and I felt oddly at ease around him, although there was a constant erotic tension in the air whenever we were together. The realization that we were becoming quite close, in a way previously unknown to me, made me nervous.

I tried to take my mind off things by reading the book I'd started two weeks ago but hadn't had the time to finish. The hero was described as a very muscular blond man with blue eyes, but every time his name was mentioned, Edward's face popped up in my mind, and my thoughts wandered back to the last few days.

I'd never spent as much time with a man as I spent with Edward this weekend. Being around someone else constantly for several days was always hard for me because I naturally needed my space. Even in my relationships I'd avoided staying over for more than one night at a time. It was easy with Edward, though.

After ten pages, that I'd had to read three times each before registering what I had read, I put the book aside.

Determined not to let a man disturb my peace of mind, I grabbed my keys and drove over to my studio to do some work.

****POMH****

Tuesday, my small studio was packed with people. There were models, people doing their make-up, people dressing them, some doing the lighting, Eric from the agency, and of course, Angela, my assistant.

The job included shooting ten dresses and ten jeans outfits for women, five suits and five men in casual clothes. We were scheduled to shoot the women today. The male models would be coming in tomorrow.

Everything was going as planned. By the late afternoon I was shooting the next to last dress, a red knee-length dress made of jersey.

"Turn to the left. Okay, that's right." … _click, click, click._

I felt a weird tingling sensation, which made my hair stand on end. I had no idea what caused it, so I tried to ignore it and continued doing my job.

"Tilt your head a little – yeah, that's it." … _click, click, click … _

The feeling didn't go away. On the contrary, it increased.

"A little more light from the right, please. Now, Amy, a little less teeth." … _click, click, click._

"Okay, thanks, we have it." There was only one more dress to shoot. "Is Penny ready?"

"No," the make-up artist shouted. "We need five more minutes."

I turned around to readjust the lighting as a shining pair of green eyes and a crooked smile caught my attention. Raising a brow in surprise, I put down the camera and walked toward the column Edward was leaning against.

"Hey, handsome. How did you get in here?" I asked, tilting my head flirtatiously.

"Hello, beautiful. The door was unlocked," he answered in a playful tone.

"Uhm, I mean, what are you doing here?"

"I came over to see that everything's all right here. And I have to admit, I was curious to see you work." With a raised brow, he looked me over from head to toe before he looked into my eyes again.

"And? What do you see?" I demanded expectantly.

"You're really professional." He leaned in to whisper the next words into my ear. "And to be honest, sexy as hell when you order people around like that."

"Penny's ready. Shall we do the last round?" Angela asked me, getting me to snap out of my Edward-induced daze.

"Yes, Ang, I'm coming." I turned to look at Edward again. "Are you staying or leaving?" Again, I felt the inexplicable need to be close to him.

"Staying, for a while."

"This will take about ten minutes, I guess. Take a seat if you like." I pointed my finger at the couch that was set up in the back. "Eric must be around here somewhere, too."

The fact that Edward was watching me made me nervous. But I was a professional, and I would wrap this shoot up in no time. I grabbed my camera and turned toward my set.

"Okay, Penny. Show me how sexy you are." … _click, click, click._ She was wearing a black dress with spaghetti straps and a wide skirt.

"Ruffle your hair a little. Good." … _click, click, click._

"Now, turn fast enough to make the skirt fly. And remember to look into the camera. Yeah, that's it." …_ click, click, click._

A few minutes later, we were done. After another fifteen minutes, everybody was leaving.

"Bye, guys. See you tomorrow. Bye, Amy, Penny. See you." Once everyone had left, I closed the door before I turned to see Edward, standing at my computer, clicking through the pictures.

"Aren't you done working for today?" I asked as I strolled over to him.

"Yes and no. Our webmaster asked me to have my picture taken for the website. He told me you had done the others, and I should come here to ask you to do mine soon." His expression was apologetic. "These are really good." He gestured toward the photos on the screen.

"Thank you." I took a stool and positioned it in front of the white background screen, motioning for him to sit down. He did as he was told.

"Now, let's see how good a model you are. Turn to the right. Not that far. Yes, that's okay." … _click, click, click._

"Give me one of those smiles," I prompted.

He raised a brow in confusion. "What smiles?"

"The ones you throw me when you want to get into my pants."

He laughed heartily before his eyes darkened, and he put that special look on his face.

"Yeah, that's it." … _click, click, click._

"I'm surprised it's not always there when you're around." He teased, and I felt my cheeks blush as my lady parts started to tingle.

"Now, let's try the other side. Turn to your left." He obeyed at once.

"Take your chin down a little. Good boy." … _click, click, click._

I put the camera away, walking the few steps over to Edward. "You look very reputable. I think we should try it again without the tie." I loosened the tie around his neck and pulled it over his head. Then I undid the top button of his white shirt. "That's more like it."

I went back to my former position, taking three pictures before I walked over to him again. "Let me do something with your hair," I said as I ran both of my hands through the tousled strands. Suddenly, his arms were around my waist. He stretched up from his sitting position as I bent down to gently kiss his lips. I could feel him smile as his lips nudged mine, trying to get them to part and let his tongue in. I smiled back as I finally let him enter. His sweet-tasting tongue took its time to explore my mouth.

After a minute, he broke away, running his lips up and down my neck.

"Mr. Cullen, how shall I get any work done when you distract me like this?" I asked in mock indignation when he loosened his embrace and ran his hands over my hardened nipples, which were clearly showing through my thin, white blouse.

"Work is done. Now it's play time," he answered in a husky voice as he undid my buttons to bare my bra and plant a kiss in my cleavage. Then he looked back up at me and let my fiery lips capture his.

Breaking away, I looked straight into his lust-darkened eyes while my fingers started to unbuckle his belt, opened the button of his pants and pulled the zipper down. My hand slid into his underpants, making me smile as I touched his massive erection. Pulling down the waistband of the boxer briefs, I bared his full length.

Smirking wickedly, I went down on my knees and took an admiring look at his manhood. I licked him from bottom to top, making him moan deeply. Satisfied with his response, I wrapped my lips around him and let my hungry tongue swirl around the head. He moaned again as one of his hands went to my head while the other gripped the seat of the chair.

Encouraged by his delighted reaction, I slid as much of him into my mouth as possible without choking. As I noticed his breath speed up, I moved my head up and down, loving the feeling of his cock inside my mouth. Every groan that came out of his throat made the pool of wetness between my thighs grow.

Again and again, I let my lips and tongue glide over his length. Every time I reached the head, I let my tongue circle it, moaning with pleasure. When I was sure he was not far from his release, he pulled me away and made me stand up. Crushing his lips to mine, he grabbed my ass and lifted me off the floor, wrapping my legs around his waist, and carried me over to a table in a corner. He sat me down, took off his jacket, my jeans and shoes, and pulled my panties off. I undid the remaining buttons of his shirt and pulled it off him. Admiringly, I let my eyes roam over his beautiful chest.

Before he let his pants fall to the ground, he quickly took out a condom, put the wrapper between his teeth, and ripped it open. I took the rubber out of his hand and rolled it on. Without moving his hungry eyes away from me, he grabbed my hips and positioned himself in a way so that the tip of his erection lightly touched my entrance, which was aching to be filled. Pulling my hips against his and slamming forward at the same time, he impaled me on his rock-hard length.

"Aahhh," I moaned with pleasure as the pain of need was replaced by his fullness.

"You like that?" he asked in a raspy, aroused voice, accompanied by a forceful thrust.

"Oh, yes," I answered, enraptured.

"Tell me what you like, baby!" he demanded, driving himself in deeper.

I moaned again. "I like you inside me."

"What do you want me to do to you? Tell me!" His eyes sparkled wickedly, grinding but not moving, as he waited for my response.

"This," I answered, desperate for more friction.

"What, _this_? Say it, Bella! I will only do what you tell me to do." It seemed that he was enjoying my discomfort.

His holding back was pure torture. I had always felt embarrassed when talking dirty, but I knew that was what he wanted to hear. I needed to feel him move inside me badly, so there was nothing left to do but concede.

"Fuck me, Edward, please. I want you to fuck me hard." He let out an amused chuckle, obeying at once, stabbing me roughly, one, two, three, four times.

"Like that? Is that how you want me to fuck you, baby?" He didn't stop moving as he invited me to tell him what I needed.

"Your cock feels so good. I want you to fuck me deeper — and faster," I choked out in between pants.

His pace picked up immediately as he threw my legs over his shoulders.

"Ahhh, oh fuck, yes." I was moaning like a porn star, unable to talk anymore.

"Oh, baby, your pussy's so fucking tight. And you're so wet. I love the way you're always ready for me." He breathed heavily, thrusting even harder.

All of a sudden, he hit a spot that had never been touched before, making hot shivers run over my body. "Ohhhhhhhh, oh, fuck," I panted as he hit it again and again, until everything inside me came undone and a high-pitched "Aaahhhhhhh" erupted from my throat while my back arched upward. My walls gripped his cock hard and made him come with me, panting erratically.

"Wow," was the first thing I said as my breathing slowly began to steady.

"No kidding!" Edward agreed, his eyes glowing with satisfaction.

I started to assemble my clothes and got dressed as he did the same.

"Does that happen a lot when you take a man's picture?" He smirked.

"No, not a lot. Sometimes," I lied, mocking him. His eyes narrowed. "Okay, never before."

Edward came over to me and gave me a deep, passionate kiss. "I want you to know that this was special for me, too." His eyes bore into mine. "What do we do now?"

Although I had a lot of ideas what I wanted to do with him, I had to postpone them.

"Actually, I'm meeting Alice for dinner, and I think I'm already running late. I have to go." I was really disappointed that I had to end our evening together so abruptly.

"Then you should go. I think we'll see each other on Friday. Jasper mentioned something about visiting his favorite club." He raised his brow in anticipation.

"We're going to The Dark Room on Friday. You really should come." The only way I would be able to leave him now was if I knew I'd see him again on Friday.

"I will," he said as I turned off the lights and locked the door behind us.

Both our cars were parked in front of the studio. Edward turned to face me again, bending down to give me one last searing kiss. "See you on Friday," he said as he turned and walked to his Volvo.

********POMH********

**A/N:** Hi again. Is it only me or is it hot in here? I kind of popped my dirty talking cherry with this chapter. It wasn't easy for me but I had to try it because I love reading an Edward with a dirty mouth. I hope you liked it.

The next three chapters were initially one, but I had to break them up into three due to the length of it. They all happen during the same night. Here's a little preview for Chapter 9 - Resistance

… "_Why, Bella? Why did you let that loser hit on you and touch you like that?" Edward asked in a harsh voice. … _

Hmmm, what did Bella do? Why did she do it? I promise you'll learn more about that next Tuesday. For all of you who don't want to wait that long, there will be a longer teaser on Ficcentral on Wednesday and one on TwiFicZone on Sunday. Until then, please leave me your thoughts. CU


	9. Chapter 9 - Resistance

**A/N:** Hello to all of my old and new readers. There's so many more of you since **Redtini** was so nice to rec my story in her A/N's. I'm really excited that so many of you seem to enjoy what my twisted brain has come up with over the last couple of months.

Now on to the chapter. I'm a afraid that some of you will feel the need to slap Bella in the face at some point during this. What I ask of you is to keep an open mind because she has her reasons for being the way she is, and I promise you'll learn about the reasons soon.

Before I can let you read the chapter though, I need to give credit to the people who were essential in making it what it is. Thanks a lot to my betas **evelyn-shaye** and **EdwardsMate4ever** from **PTB**. They challenged me to take it a lot further and going into more detail than there was in my original draft. I also want to thank my pre-readers **Vampgirl79** and **Thepurplebookworm** for encouraging me and assuring me that what I'm writing is worth reading.

So, now it's time to unveil the new chapter. Enjoy. See you at the bottom.

**Disclaimer: **Twilight is Stephenie Meyer's and only hers. I'm just so glad she gave me and many others a way to unleash our imagination.

******POMH******

Chapter 9 – Resistance

Tapping her fingertips on the tabletop in an impatient manner, Alice was waiting for me at the restaurant. I should have met her there ten minutes ago.

"Hi, Alice. Sorry, I'm late," I apologized, still a little out of breath from hurrying to get there. We hugged each other hello.

"Hey, Bella. You look like you've been running all the way here. Were there problems with the shoot?" She sounded concerned, and her brows were furrowed as we sat down.

I took a sip from the glass of wine Alice had already ordered for me.

"No, everything went well. I just had to work a little overtime. Edward came over and needed a picture for the company website," I said casually while I studied the menu.

"Uh-huh." She smiled at me knowingly. "That explains why you're looking a bit worse for wear. Seeing the look on your face, it must have been worth making me wait." As usual, when Edward's name came up, she was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Alice, please." I hid in my menu, embarrassed by her ability to read me like that.

"Come on, I just want you to be happy. And I've never seen you as happy as you are right now, at least not for about ten years." She said the last part very quietly — almost as if she were talking to herself.

"It's not like that. We have fun together, and we like to hang out, but there's nothing romantic about it." I frowned slightly, unnerved by her constant insinuations.

Fortunately, the waitress came and interrupted us to take our order. Alice continued as soon as the waitress was out of earshot.

"Maybe on your side, but what about him?" I sighed, having hoped that Alice would drop the matter after the break in our conversation.

"Do you know about Tanya?" I asked tentatively, unsure of how much Jasper knew and had shared with her.

"Tanya? I'm not sure. I know Edward had a long-term girlfriend, and they broke up," she offered. "Was that her?" She seemed unsure of where I was going with that.

"Yes. They were together for five years, and he'd wanted to marry her before he found out that she'd been cheating on him from the start." Maybe my voice sounded a little hard, but I was angry at the woman I didn't know for hurting him like that.

"Oh my, that's bad." Alice's tone was sad and her usual sunny smile had turned into a frown. She appeared to be really sorry for Edward.

"He kicked her out and never saw her again. Do you know how long ago they split?" That question had been on my mind since he told me his story. I didn't dare to ask him, though, afraid I would appear to be nosy.

"About one-and-a-half years ago, I think. Why are you asking?" Alice quirked her eyebrow in confusion.

"He told me he's been drinking extensively and bed-hopping ever since. So you see, no feelings on his end, either." Satisfied that I had proven my point, I took a sip of wine and sat back.

"But what you're forgetting is that he doesn't drink that much anymore, and at the moment, he's only hopping through _your_ bed, figuratively speaking." She smiled at me smugly.

"I made it clear that I'm not doing relationships, and he didn't object. End of story." I folded my arms in front of my chest, staring at her defiantly.

"We'll see," she answered in a know-it-all voice, sounding too confident for my taste, before changing the subject.

The rest of the evening was nice; and at least for a while, it took my mind off Edward. Alice told me about the new product line she had ordered for the department store she worked for as chief purchase manager. She always knew about the latest fashion and had a very big closet at home, as well.

We talked a bit about our plans for the holidays that were soon to come, and after dessert, we said good-bye and drove home.

After we had left the uncomfortable discussion of my friendship with Edward behind us, the evening with Alice had been fun and relaxing. With her positive attitude she always managed to make me look at things a little more openly myself. I was very grateful to have a friend like her who, although she could be a real pain in the ass, always had my back.

****POMH****

"Two martinis and two beers, please," Jasper ordered. The four of us were standing at the bar in TheDark Room. The music was good, as always, and we'd already had two rounds of drinks.

Although Edward had only kissed my cheek saying hello, neither of us missed a chance to touch each other_ coincidentally_.

Alice and Jasper were arguing about the new piece of furniture she had bought without asking his opinion first. I hated to see them fight, but when they eventually made up, I always felt jealous of the connection the two of them shared.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow night?" Edward asked me out of the blue.

"Do you have another room to paint? Or do you still need help unpacking?" I teased, giving him a knowing smile.

"Nothing like that. Someone told me about a restaurant I should check out, and I don't want to go alone. Would you like to join me?" He said it casually, but my heart started to race, and my hands became clammy.

There it was; he was officially asking me out. My mouth suddenly felt dry, my throat constricted, and I had trouble breathing. I couldn't go on a date with him.

I didn't want to hurt him by rejecting his invitation, but I couldn't go with him, either. We would be heading in the wrong direction if I did. It would be misleading him to let him think I wanted us to be a couple when I couldn't want that.

"Bella? I asked you something," he pressed.

"I … I think I have something to do tomorrow. Sorry."

Afraid to see the disappointment in his eyes, I turned to find out how our drinks were coming. Suddenly, there was an awkward silence between us. It felt like a stab in my gut to know that I had hurt Edward, but I was sure it would be better in the long run. If I didn't let him believe that there was a chance for us becoming a couple, then maybe we could go on being friends. And I definitely wanted that.

He turned to talk to Jasper and Alice for a while, which would have given me the opportunity to calm down, but it didn't work. A few minutes later, a tall, blond guy, roughly my age, came over and stopped in front of me. "Would you like to dance?" he asked with a suggestive grin.

"Sure," I answered, a fake smile plastered on my face. His attention was exactly what I needed right now, as I was feeling totally shitty for the damage I'd done only minutes before. And I needed to get away from Edward, to show him again that we were not together and never would be.

The guy grabbed my hand, and I followed him to the dance floor. When I turned back to catch a glimpse at my friends, I found three pairs of astounded eyes. I looked away at once, starting to dance with the blond guy, who introduced himself as Mike.

For some time, we moved to the rhythm, facing each other. He was not a good dancer — not like Edward. I immediately pushed that thought away. When the song changed, he came closer, dancing around until he was standing behind me. I felt him move in, gyrating his hips and forcing mine to do so, as well. I played along, even though I wasn't really into it. I felt weirdly uncomfortable but tried not to let it show. The whole time, I could sense Edward's eyes on me, although I worked hard not to let my gaze stray in his direction.

Then Mike put his hands on my hips as he began to kiss my neck. He rolled his hips, making sure I felt his erection. I closed my eyes in discomfort. I didn't like any of it, but I let him be. I had to prove a point.

I avoided letting him kiss my lips, although, on a normal night, I might actually have gone home with him. Tonight, I felt like throwing up at the thought of his tongue in my mouth.

When the music changed again, his hands started to slowly move up my sides. Suddenly, just before Mike could reach my breasts, a menacing voice made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Get the fuck off her!" A strong hand grabbed my wrist, and a furious Edward dragged me with him, away from the dance floor, past the restrooms, until we were outside. When we were standing in the pouring Seattle rain, he let go of me and whirled around, his angry, green eyes burning into mine.

"What do you think you're doing? You have no right to drag me out here!" I shouted at him.

Without another word, he took hold of my wrist again and pulled me with him to the parking lot, opening the back door of his Volvo.

"Get in the car," he commanded as he gestured toward the back seat.

"What? You want to fuck? Now? Here?" I asked, bewildered. Not that I would mind. I was mad at him, but his anger caused my traitorous body to crave his rough touch all over my skin.

"If I wanted sex with you, I wouldn't care about the time and place, but no. I want to talk to you, and standing out here, we'll be soaking wet in no time. So, get inside." His stare was intense, while his words sounded calm. But I could tell that it took him a lot of effort.

I glared at him in frustration. Not only was he ordering me around, but he was basically rejecting me right now. Feeling the rain saturating my hair, I caved in and got in the backseat. He sat down beside me then closed the door.

After a long moment of heavy, awkward silence, he started to talk.

"Why, Bella? Why did you let that loser hit on you and touch you like that?" he asked in a harsh voice.

I was still angry because of the way he dragged me out like a naughty child. So I just continued to stare at him instead of answering his question.

"Everyone could see that you were not into him. Fuck, Bella, why did you let him grope you, then?" He pressed for an answer. I didn't know if his tone held worry or jealousy.

"Because that's what I do. And it's none of your business," I snapped at him.

"What do you mean,_ that's what you do_?" He looked appalled now.

"It's the only thing I know how to do. I hook up with random guys and go home with them," I confessed. My voice was defeated and hurt. As I looked down at my hands, I realized that my fury was suddenly gone.

"What happened to you, Bella?" Edward's tone was soft now as he moved closer to me.

Again, I didn't answer him. I had never told anyone other than Alice about the worst night — or rather nights — of my life. I never wanted to talk about it again. My breathing was loud in the silence of the car.

"Please, Bella, tell me what made you become like this," he begged me in a tender voice. He probably expected I wouldn't answer him.

Another minute passed as I deliberated what to tell him. Then I closed my eyes and started to talk.

"Only Alice and Jasper know this." I took three deep breaths while my fingers nervously fidgeted with the hem of my skirt. "I was kind of a late bloomer, you know? I was still a virgin at nineteen."

As I started telling him my story, my mind went back to the summer eight years ago …

********POMH********

**A/N:** More than ever I want to know what you think. Did you want to punch Bella for dancing with Mike while Edward was watching? Or do you think Edward overstepped by dragging her out and demanding an explanation? I promise that you'll understand Bella a lot more after reading the next chapter. The whole thing is going to be a flashback, so, I know you'll be disappointed, but there will be no Edward in it. To give you something to look forward to though, there's going to be all that more Edward in chapter 11. I think I rambled on enough, so here's the usual teaser:

… _For a moment, I wondered whether I should tell Jacob I was a virgin or not, but I decided to keep it to myself, unwilling to ruin the mood. … _

Yes, the whole Jacob mystery will be cleared up next week. Can't wait to hear your thoughts. See you all next week.


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